


The Clone

by Lone_Wolf_Fanfics



Series: Supernatural/Marvel Crossovers [10]
Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Supernatural, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Break Up, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Clones, F/M, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Dean Winchester, Multi, Post-Break Up, Super Soldier Serum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2019-10-26 07:14:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 63,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17741327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics/pseuds/Lone_Wolf_Fanfics
Summary: After her recent break up with Dean Winchester Sara Stark returns to her brother for comfort.Staying at the Avengers' tower she finds herself drawn to Bucky Barnes who seeks to sooth her fragile and broken heart much to Dean's dismay.





	1. Sara Stark

**Name** : Sara Rogers

 **Used name:**  Sara Lance

 **Nickname** : Fake-Sis. Sis. Blondie. Barbie. Little-Stark. (Tony) Babe. Baby. Sweetheart. (Dean) Anomaly. (Castiel) Precious (Crowley)

 **Super name:**  White Canary

 **Species:**  Human (Clone)

 **DOB** : December 25th 1955

 **Age:**  60-65 (Physically 30-31)  
  


**Appearance:**

**Hair:**  Blonde

 **Eyes:**  Blue

 **Cast:**  Caity Lotz

**Relationships:**

Tony Stark – Legal Guardian

Howard Stark – Former Legal Guardian/Creator

Edwin Jarvis – Former Legal Guardian

Steve Rogers – Male Genetic Double

Dean Winchester – Ex-boyfriend   
  


**Bio:**

Sara is the genetic clone of Captain Steve Rogers created in a lab by Howard Stark and a team of scientist, she is the only successful clone to make it to five years old without any major defects. Five batches of clones, each consisting of 20 babies were created, Sara was born as part of the third batch and four and five were used to try and recreate her success. Out of 100 babies, she was the only female. In 1960 after the project was scrapped due to the fact that they couldn't create a male clone that survived past five years, SHIELD and the world council ordered all living clones and all genetic data to be destroyed, however Howard took pity on Sara and took her in, became her legal guardian. After Howard's death that responsibility shifted to Jarvis and then to Tony.

Sara aged at a normal rate until she reached puberty, 12, after which it slowed significantly to the point that almost 50 years later she looks to be in her 30's. At the moment her ageing seems to have stopped completely or slowed to a point that makes it seem she's stopped.   
  


**Personality:**

Sara is genetically a replicate of Steve Rogers, and in such her personality is extremely similar. Sara has a noble and honest spirit, intolerant towards injustice and abuses of power. She has high standards of humanity and morality. Sara is an extremely dedicated person. She finds the courage to defend the weak and innocent, not hesitating to stand up to corrupt bureaucrats, hypocritical authority figures, or powerful beings. Just like her male counter part Sara is more than willing to sacrifice herself to protect others. Sara is not afraid to do what's right for the greater good and make the tough choices, even if it might be costly to her personally.

Sara's uncompromising sense of morality and selflessness sometimes puts her at odds with Tony Stark, who is more comfortable with a grey morality to protect people. This has led to several decades of bickering, arguments, and almost physical fights. Despite their differences, however, they both respect each other, work well together, and treat one another like siblings, both being 'raised' by Howard.

Sara is very protective of her friends and 'family', and is willing to go to great lengths to save them, being susceptible to emotional and violent acts to fulfil her goal.

She does, however, have a darker side, a side effect of the cloning process left Sara extremely aggressive and bloodthirsty to the point of being unstable and unpredictable. Though over the years she's learnt to control this aspect of her personality, when those she loves and cares for are threatened or hurt, this side of her can make itself known.

She is humane, optimistic and moral.

Sara has developed a distaste for authority, evidenced by how she defied and generated a rivalry with Director Fury, director of Shield. However, they have both recently started to gain a measurable amount of trust for one another.  
  


**Trivia:**

Sara is bisexual

Sara firmly believes in Free Will.

Despite the means of her 'birth' Sara is an theist and tries to attend church at least once a week

Sara wears a silver cross around her neck, this was a gift from Howard when he 'adopted' her.

Sara loves Clint Eastwood movies. Actually any western movie.

She shares Steve Rogers' love of cinnamon apple pie and cotton candy

Sara is extremely patriotic

Her favourite flower is the Poppy

Her favourite colour is old glory blue

Her favourite songs are Anne Shelton - Fools Rush In and Ben E. King – Stand by me

Her favourite book is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Sara is a fan of Dr. Sexy M.D.   
  


** Powers & Abilities: **

**Powers:**

As the clone of Captain America, Sara has all of his enhancements.

 **Artificially Enhanced Physiology:**  Enhanced human abilities, such as formidable intelligence, strength, speed, senses, durability, agility, stamina, dexterity and reflexes, as well as an accelerated healing factor.

 **Enhanced Intelligence:** Sara's intelligence is at the very peak of human potential and beyond, thus allowing her mind to operate in the most efficient and rapid manner possible. Some manifestation of this is her exceptionally perfect charisma, eloquence, leadership skills, deductive/analytical skills, and tactical genius. Sara has demonstrated the ability to quickly process multiple information streams (e.g., threat assessment) and rapidly respond to any changing tactical situations, by creating perfect winning strategies rapidly. She possesses perfect memory

 **Enhanced Strength:**  Sara's strength is immensely enhanced beyond the peak of human potential.

 **Enhanced Durability** : Sara's bones and muscles are vastly denser and harder than a human's, above the highest level of human potential, which makes her much incredibly more durable than any human being. Though she is not bulletproof, she can survive extreme blunt force trauma such as being hit with solid objects.

 **Enhanced Speed** : Sara can run and move at speeds beyond the peak of human potential, moving into the early levels of superhuman condition. She can keep up with most standard vehicles and cover a small area such as city blocks within a short period of time.

 **Enhanced Stamina** : Sara's musculature produces fewer fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human and her body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-producing chemicals in her muscles, granting her exceptional endurance and lung capacity, greater than of normal humans. She can function at peak capacity for several hours before showing fatigue.

 **Enhanced Agility** : Sara's immensely enhanced agility is greater than that of an Olympic gold medalist and leagues above even the world's greatest acrobats.

 **Enhanced Reflexes:**  Sara's reflexes are superior to those of the finest athlete. They are beyond the peak of human potential, which allows her to dodge rapid gunfire at close range.

 **Enhanced Senses** : Sara's five natural senses have been enhanced. She can see, hear, smell, feel, and taste things imperceptible to humans. This allows her to see further, hear with amazing clarity, detect specific persons, objects, substances with her smell, etc.

 **Regenerative Healing Factor:**  Sara is immune to all infections, diseases, and disorders; also Sara cannot become intoxicated by alcohol, drugs, toxins, or impurities. This annoys her as she can't get drunk like her friends. For Sara, large cuts and bruises heal within minutes and even fatal gunshot wounds and fractures will mend within an hour or less.   
  


**Abilities:**

**SHIELD training:**  Sara has gone through all the training that an Agent of Shield does.

 **Master hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist** : Sara is an exceptional hand-to-hand combatant due to her training with SHIELD. She has demonstrated the ability to defeat multiple enemies both armed and unarmed, take down a Russian bruiser twice her size, and outfight other skilled combatants.

 **Master stick fighter:**  Sara's weapon of choice is a pair of extendable batons that combine to form into a bo-staff and she demonstrates great skill in stick fighting and bo-staff fighting. Using her staff she has defeated multiple armed enemies in quick succession and has competed against other skilled combatants.

 **Master knife wielder/Knife-thrower:**  Sara is an expert at using knives in combat. Sara is also an expert at knife throwing as she was able to kill someone with a gun before they could fire at her. She has also demonstrated the ability to throw several knives in quick succession.

 **Free running/Acrobatics** : Sara is capable of scaling buildings and running from rooftop to rooftop was ease. Sara regularly includes acrobatics in her fighting style.

 **Stealth/Infiltration:**  Sara is highly capable of entering and leaving buildings without being seen, regardless of their security. Sara is also able to conceal her weapons easily on her person, such as her knives and batons.

 **Indomitable will/High tolerance for pain:**  Another side effect of the cloning process is that Sara has an incredible tolerance to pain.

 **Skilled archer:**  While rarely demonstrated, Sara has been shown to be a capable archer.

 **Skilled markswoman/Firearms** : Sara is skilled in the use of firearms ranging from handguns to sniper rifles.

 **Medical knowledge/Toxicology:**  Spending most of her childhood in a scientific lab Sara became fascinated with medicine and science. As she grew up Howard helped her extend her knowledge. Sara became trained in forensics, chemistry, and first aid. Sara is also familiar with poisons, specifically Tibetan Pit Viper venom.

 **Multilingual** : Sara is capable of fluently speaking English, Mandarin, Arabic, and Tibetan.  
  


**Equipment:**

**Expandable batons:**  As the White Canary, she uses a pair of expandable batons to fight. They are able to combine into a bo-staff.

 **Gun** : Sara uses a multitude of guns, including sniper rifles and handguns.

 **Knives** : Sara has used a variety of different knives. Knives and shurikens have become a staple in Sara's equipment, with her mostly using them in undercover work.

 **Sara Lance's motorcycle** : Sara uses a motorcycle to get around, when she is out on patrol as the Canary. It is unknown if this is her civilian motorbike.

 **White Canary suit** : Sara wears a white leather protective suit as heroine alter-ego, White Canary created for her by Tony. It was later modified with a white jacket.  
  
  



	2. Chapter One

Steve Rogers frowns staring down at the blonde sleeping on Tony's sofa, after the last few times he's passed Tony's one night stands he's picked up on the rule that they don't sleep over, but this one is sleeping on the sofa. He turns and walks away and into the kitchen where Tony is sat at the breakfast bar with a coffee and a tablet in his hand. Steve pours his own coffee.

"Another date night?" Steve asks Tony who frowns at him. "The blonde on the sofa" Steve elaborates, Tony frowns at him, trying to process what Steve is talking about, and then looks to the doorway as said blonde appears yawning and rubbing her hands in her eyes.

"Sara?" Tony asks standing, Sara blinks and looks to him, a smile forming on her lips.

"Sorry, I would have called but..." Sara pulls her broken cell phone from her jeans pocket. "I...was angry" she sets the broken device on the counter as Steve raises an eyebrow, Tony smiles nervously. He hadn't actually been aware of Sara's heritage, her history until the original Jarvis had died and the information had been passed on to Tony. Learning that not only was she not his sister, but she was barely even a real human. Well she kind of is, she was born, she was taught, she grew up but....she's a copy. A clone. Of the man sat across from Tony. Who has no idea she exists or that the science experiment conducted by Howard even happened. Steve gives Tony a look.

"Right" Tony whispers. "Sara, Steve, Steve, Sara" he introduces.

"Pretty sure everyone knows who Captain America is, Tony" Sara teases grabbing her mug from the kitchen cabinet. She shoots Tony a look, telling him she damn well knows who Steve is. Sara sets the mug under the coffee machine and turns to Steve. "Sara Stark" she elaborates. "Tony's sister"

"Oh" Steve breaths. "I didn't know he has a sister"

"No one does" Tony points out. "And it's complicated...." Tony stands grabbing the broken cell phone.

"What he means is, I'm not biologically his sister" Sara offers. "But Howard raised me from about the age of five so..." Steve nods understanding, sort of anyway. Sara looks to Tony.

"I'll fix this" Tony assures her looking at the cell phone. "Hey" Tony looks to Sara. "I thought you were off travelling with what's his face.....the....what was his name?" Sara clears her throat and looks away.

"Dean" she answers. "His name is Dean and no....that didn't work out" she mumbles and turns back to the coffee machine. Tony frowns and looks to her.

"Do I need to talk to him?" Sara laughs at the thought of Tony trying to have the brother talk with Dean Winchester, she loves Tony as if he is actually her brother but Dean is a little beyond his league.

"No" Sara answers. "No, you don't need to 'talk' to him" She looks to Tony. "We'll talk about it later" she offers, Tony nods and winks at her, holding up the cell phone he walks away. Sara takes a breath and takes her coffee from under the machine nozzle.

"Tony's not exactly what you picture as brother material" Steve offers, Sara smirks and looks to him.

"No, I can see why....you just have to get passed that outer side of him, Tony can be an incredibly thoughtful and caring person....but he covers it all up with....himself" Steve chuckles a little and nods. "I mean...you just have to look at the little things he does..." she leans on the counter and smiles. "The suit he made for Pietro" she offers. "The gloves for Wanda, the bow for Clint...those widow bites for Natasha, even Bruce's stretchy pants. It's his way of caring, of making sure that the people he cares about have the tools they need to be the best versions of themselves"

"You know all of us" Steve points out. "And we had no idea you existed" she shrugs.

"Clint and Natasha do" Sara corrects. "I've worked with them before. But no, Tony prefers to keep me hidden away, and it's just him being protective, after Howard died and then Jarvis, Tony took over as my legal guardian and he takes that seriously"

"So you're a SHIELD agent?" Steve asks, she shrugs again.

"Not officially" she answers. "It's more like they get stuck but don't want to bother you guys, they call me" Steve smiles a little. "The boring little stuff...." she adds. "Clean up, or retrieval, or extraction" She explains with a smile. Across the room Bucky Barnes is staring at the scene in front of him. Steve and Sara talking, two people that he is having trouble processing in his sleep deprived mind because stood talking to one another they are eerily similar, down to the way they are stood, arms folded over their chests, both looking thoughtful as they talk, down to the jut of the right foot, facing slightly outwards. Steve sees Bucky lurking first and smiles subconsciously at the sight of his best friend.

"Buck" Steve greets.

"Who's she?" Bucky grumbles nodding to Sara, he's not trying to be rude on purpose, it's just how he is now, even when he wants to sound polite and nice it comes out as the grumpy former assassin that wants to kill.

"Sara" Steve offers motioning to Sara who waves at Bucky. "She's Howard's daughter.....Tony's sister"

"Howard.." Bucky mumbles a little looking over Sara. She looks nothing like Howard or Tony, and he's dubious about that being the truth. He lifts his eyes to hers and she raises an eyebrow at him. And he's utterly lost in how blue her eyes are. Genuine kindness play in her expression but there is something else in her eyes, a hurt, a deep hurt she is trying really hard to keep from her face.

"Hello" Sara greets. Bucky continues to stare at her, Sara looks to Steve who frowns at his friend. "I'm going to go see if Tony's fixed my phone" Sara tells Steve who nods and looks to her. He mouths 'sorry' at her, she pats his arm as she passes and leaves the room, Steve turns to Bucky and smirks.

"I've never seen you stuck with a woman before" Bucky blinks a little and looks to Steve and then around.

"Where'd she go?" he asks, Steve chuckles a little.

"She left, you were staring at her and it was creepy" Steve explains.

"Just..." Bucky sighs. "Her eyes...." he shakes his head. "I thought we were going for a run?" Bucky asks noting Steve's clothing.

"Yeah, we are, I just got distracted" Steve answers. "Let me go get changed" Bucky nods as Steve walks away, Bucky swings his arms at his side a little.

................

Sara sits, one leg crossed over the other, on the small love seat Tony moved into the labs for her to use when she'd visit. She likes listening to him science babble at her.

"So what happened?" Tony asks pushing his stool over to where she sits, her cell phone in his hand, a screwdriver in his other. "I thought you liked hunting with Dean" Sara nods.

"I did" she agrees with him. "I loved it" she looks to Tony. Tony glances to her from the phone.

"What changed?" he asks, she looks away. "Did he hurt you?" she scoffs and shakes her head.

"No but I did get hurt" she looks to him. "It's a long story, but he said that I was a distraction" she admits. "That..." she sighs. "I was just getting in the way..." she shrugs. "So here I am"

"He just threw the last three years away?" Tony asks. "Called you a distraction?" he scoffs. "You have a lot of annoying traits, Blondie, a llllooootttt" she kicks him lightly. "But I've never known you be a distraction, you always bring something to the table, to a team"

"I know" she answers. "It's fine" she whispers flicking fluff from her jeans. "I'm fine" Tony sets the phone and screwdriver aside and smirks a little.

"You're wishing right now that you can get drunk?" Tony asks, she looks to him as a tear slides down her cheek and he sighs softly pushing closer to her. "Hey, it's okay" he tells her. "He doesn't deserve you. Not if he could just walk away...." he reaches up and brushes his hand over her cheek. "Not after everything you've been through together...."

"Kind of like you and Steve splitting up the family" Sara mumbles, Tony gives her a look. "After everything you went through together" Tony nods a look.

"Yeah, you're right, but we're fixing it, we're better now..." Tony tells her. "I even let his pet assassin move in" Tony teases a little, she smiles a little.

"I just need some time" she admits. "A few days, a week....and then I'll rethink.....the last four years of my life has been hunting with them...and doing the odd job for SHIELD. I need to figure something out" she stands and sighs. "Just a few days" she whispers, Tony takes her hand as she passes him.

"Hey" she looks to him. "You can stay here as long as you want" he tells her warmly. "This is your home" she smiles and nods at him before walking away, Tony sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. 


	3. Chapter Two

Tony enters the communal kitchen with Sara's fixed phone, Clint and Natasha are both sat in the small corner used for their culinary books, most have never been read, they are both watching Sara, Tony raises an eyebrow and moves to the two agents, Clint looks to him.

"She bakes?" Clint asks watching Sara pulls a pie out of the oven, Tony hums at his side.

"It's what she does when she's emotional, it helps her work through things" Tony looks to Clint. "What is it?"

"Cinnamon apple" Natasha answers. "One pie isn't going to be enough for all of us" Tony chuckles.

"Oh Red" he teases. "We aren't getting any of that pie" Natasha raises an eyebrow. "It's her comfort blanket, she'll eat it all....herself"

"I'll make another" Sara states across the room, lifting her head from her journal to look at them. "It's fine....I'm not ready to stop yet" she looks to Tony who offers her a small smile and then holds up the new cell phone.

"I fixed it" he tells her and moves to where she stands.

"Thank you" she whispers taking it from him and turning it on, before setting it on the side and going back to her journal where the recipe sits, no matter how many times she bakes it, she checks it every time, just to be sure. Maria's handwriting has faded a little over the years but it is still there on the first page, her 'mother's' handwriting. Maria and Howard had given her the journal the Christmas before their death, so she cherishes it, and over the years more and more and more pages have been glued into the back, and loose pages slotted into it, post-it notes, photos....everything from her life since 1991. Tony touches the pages and smiles tracing his mother's handwriting.

"Do you need anything?" Tony asks pulling his hand back.

"I could do with some space" she whispers. "They have eyes like needles" Tony nods and pats her hand.

"I've got it" he tells her warmly before heading to Natasha and Clint, to persuade them to leave Sara alone.

...............

Bucky is lingering again, drawn in by the smell, cinnamon apple pie, it had triggered something, a memory from his childhood, from when he used to spend time at Steve's house and his mother had baked pie. He used to love that smell. He supposes he still does. He watches Tony, Natasha and Clint leave talking with one another. Bucky shifts his eyes back to Sara as she lays the pastry over the top of the pie. Her cell phone rings and she glances to it, her softened features turn sad.

"Sorry, Sammy" she states and then declines the call. Egg washes the pastry layer and then lifts the dish, Bucky takes a breath and then steps forward, he can talk to her, apologise for being creepy earlier, he's not a creepy guy, okay, well he is. He should probably apologise for killing her father too. If she knows about that of course, if not why poke the hornet's nest.

"I don't think any one has used this kitchen before" Bucky informs. Sara jumps and drops the pie dish in her hand, it shatters on the floor and she sighs. "I'm sorry" Bucky offers with a grumble. "I didn't mean" he pauses. "....I scared you"

"You just surprised me that's all" She corrects looking down at the ruined pie. She sighs and blows a strand of hair out of her face. "Pie" she whispers and then crouches to clean it up.

"You already made one" Bucky points out, Sara nods and looks to the first pie.

"Yes, I did" she agrees. "But if I don't make another one.....I'll have to share that one" she looks up at Bucky and smirks a little. "I really want that pie to myself" he watches her as she sighs slightly. "I'll just go to the store" she complains standing and disposing of the broken dish. "You can help" she offers, Bucky shakes his head.

"I don't leave the tower" Bucky tells her, she cocks her head.

"At all?" she asks, he shakes his head.

"No" he answers quickly. "I don't leave the tower" he repeats. She crosses her arms over her chest and looks to him.

"When was the last time you saw New York?" she asks. "The 40's? The world has changed, Sergeant" he takes a breath and looks to her. "I'm only going to the store down the street, 30 minutes" he watches her, battling with his own mind, part of him arguing with the other before he decides.

"I can't" he admits backing away. "I just....can't" he turns and walks away.

"Your loss" she counters grabbing her cell phone from the side as it rings again. Bucky stops and watches Sara as she stares at the phone before pressing decline.

..................

Sara blows a strand of hair from her eyes as she grabs the pie dish from the kitchen counter and turns to the rest of the room, most of the Avengers are sat together around a huge table Thor had carried in, Bucky is sat as far as he can get away from Tony and Rhodey, actually the table is pretty much split Team Iron Man and Team Cap, with poor Bruce and Thor in the middle.

"The apples weren't good enough so I had to make cherry instead" Sara states setting the cherry pie on the table and then turns and grabs a bowl from the counter behind her. "And I made maple pecan ice cream" she adds setting the bowl on the table.

"You made ice cream?" Wanda asks. "Like made it made it? From scratch?"

"Yes" Sara answers. "There are cupcakes and truffles and eclairs and breads" she motions to the trays and stands on the counter. "And a few different ice creams....."

"Okay" Tony stands and grabs Sara's shoulders. "Here we go" he turns her and sets her in an empty chair at the table. "You need to slow down...and take a breath"

"Yeah, I'm exhausted listening to you" Clint offers, Sara sets her hands in her lap and takes a breath. "You did all that in one day?"

"Started at 7am" Sara answers. "I took a break at lunch time....."

"Yeah, tell them what you did" Tony pushes, Sara sighs.

"I spent an hour in the gym" she tells. Tony nods and looks to the others. Steve and Bucky smirk a little, Natasha chuckles and Wanda smiles.

"Exhausted" Clint repeats with a smirk. Tony looks back to Sara.

"Sit and enjoy the food that you made" he tells her before moving back to his own seat. Sara reaches for the fork by her plate and adjusts it's position as the others dig in, talking among one another. Tony takes her hand and raises an eyebrow at her, she nods a little and pulls her hand back. Bucky watches her from a curtain of his hair, she seems to smile all the time, but there is pain and hurt etched into her features, it's the same when he looks at Steve so he knows the look. Sara takes a breath and looks up.

"Wait" Sara states. Tony groans and hangs his head.

"No, Sara" he complains.

"What?" Steve asks. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Sara answers. "But..." she sighs and looks to the faces around the table, self-doubt setting in.

"She wants to say grace" Tony answers for her.

"You're religious?" Sam asks smirking away at Tony.

"I'm not" Tony answers. "She is" he nods to Sara. "Which is actually hilarious if you knew her" he mumbles under his breath.

"It's fine" Sara offers. "You don't have to..."

"I wouldn't mind doing it" Steve admits. "I'm ashamed to admit it's been a while...." Steve looks to Sara and smiles, she looks to Tony who grumbles under his breath. Steve sets his hands on the table in prayer position as Sara does. Bucky looks to his best friend, unsure if he should join in, unsure if he is worthy of talking to God after all he has done. The others all sit slightly amused watching. Steve feeling Bucky's look nods a little and Bucky looks to his metal hand before clasping it with his human one. Sara glances to him and his eyes find hers, she offers him a smile and then looks away. 


	4. Chapter Three

When Bucky can't sleep he likes to walk slash stalk around the communal floors checking for intruders, it's ridiculous he knows but it keeps him from laying in his bed, staring at the ceiling and freaking himself out. He pauses hearing the tv in the living room, he frowns a little and then steps into the room, dark except for the glow of the tv which shines onto Sara, who sits with a spoon between her lips and a bowl of ice cream in her lap, her hair pulled up messily on the top of her head and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Something about it makes her seem....smaller.

"What are you watching?" Bucky asks now standing behind her, Sara jumps a little and looks over her shoulder at him, Bucky is frowning at the tv screen with a mix of worry, disgust and wonder. Sara pulls the spoon from her mouth.

"Dr. Sexy M.D." Sara answers, Bucky looks to her and raises an eyebrow.

"Dr. Sexy?" he asks.

"It's a medical show..."

"So that really happened?" he asks motioning to the screen, she shakes her head and chuckles.

"No. It's a fictional show. I think it's based on a book or something"

"Oh" he watches the scene on the tv. His disgust and worry being edge out for mild fascination.

"Do you want to watch it with me?" She asks patting the couch next to her. He looks to the couch and then to her before nodding a little. Bucky sits next to Sara but places as much space between them as he can, pulling his left arm as close to himself as he can. "You can't tell Tony" she tells Bucky as she looks to him, he glances to her. "Cause he will mock me" Bucky's lip twitches into a sort of smirk.

"It's that bad?" he asks, she snorts.

"No...." he raises an eyebrow, Sara clears her throat. "It's...a guilty pleasure" he looks down and nods before looking to the tv.

"Who's that?" Bucky asks.

"That's Dr. Wang. The sexy but arrogant heart surgeon" Sara answers. Bucky looks to her.

"Sexy?" he asks, she nods.

"Yeah, she is" she answers. "I mean....I would date her" Bucky raises an eyebrow.

"So...you...you like.." Bucky cocks his head. "Women?" she looks to him.

"Are you asking if I am a lesbian?" she asks back.

"Urm....yes" Bucky answers. "Unless....is that offensive? Should I not have asked?"

"No" she smirks at him. "And I'm Bi" she offers, he frowns at her. "Bisexual" she elaborates. "I'm attracted to both women and men"

"Oh" Bucky breathes.

"If they make me happy, why should it matter if they are a man or a woman?" Sara asks, Bucky nods.

"No, that's....true" he agrees. They both look back to the tv, Sara sighs dreamily.

"Oh boy" Sara coos, Bucky looks to her.

"What?"

"It's him" She tells him.

"Who?" he asks a little alarmed.

"It's him, it's Dr. Sexy" Sara teases, Bucky scoffs a little and leans back, she laughs a little.

"He's not that attractive" Bucky mumbles watching the tv. "He's wearing cowboy boots" Bucky states. "No man looks good in cowboy boots" he argues, Sara smirks and holds out the bowl of ice cream, Bucky takes it without thinking and relaxes slightly into the seat, his eyes trained on the screen. Sara stands. "Where are you going?" Bucky asks looking to her.

"To get more ice cream" she answers walking away, Bucky watches her go and then looks to the bowl in his hand. He smiles.

....................

Sara wakes to her cell phone ringing, she sighs as she turns over to look at it before sitting up and grabbing it.

"Bobby?" Sara asks answering the phone.

.....................

Tony frowns from where he sits with his morning coffee as Sara enters the room with her duffel and that usually means she is going somewhere

"Where are you going?" Tony asks. "You just got here...." he stands and moves towards her.

"I have a thing to do" Sara answers, Tony narrows his eyes at her, calculating, and then figures it out.

"No" he accuses. "You're going back to him"

"No" she agrees. "No, I'm not but...."

"But?" Tony asks.

"His brother is my friend and he's hurt and I have.....I just want to make sure he's okay" Sara sighs. "I'm not that girl" she assures him. "I'm not going to go running and begging back to him....he doesn't want me around and that's.....fine but I need to make sure my friend is okay" Tony sighs and nods.

"Fine.... call me though"

"Tony..." She starts. "I'm older then you by about 15 years" he nods. "Stop treating me like your baby sister"

"Yeah, well most of the time you act like a teenager" he counters, she crosses her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow. "When it comes to boys and....girls, you get all flustered and horny" 

"Okay" Sara warns. "I do not get.....horny" she corrects.

"It's not your fault" Tony tells her. "It's a side effect"

"Are you trying to tell me that Captain America is secretly a horn dog? And that makes me horny?" she asks, Tony smirks a little and then starts laughing.

"No" he argues. "No, that's not...." Tony smiles and shakes his head. "I meant it's a side effect of the cloning" he corrects. "It affected the way you process emotions, because of the chemical and hormone treatments, it's why you can be more aggressive, more violent, more depressed, more happy....you feel things more then..."

"Then someone human?" she asks looking to him sadly.

"That's not what I meant" Tony assures her. "You know I would never...." he takes a breath and touches her arm. "I know I am younger then you, but I will still look out for you, Sara, you are my sister whether you like that or not" he squeezes her arm and smiles. "You spent my childhood looking out for me....now I am doing the same for you"

"I won't be long" she promises him pulling her bag back up her arm from where it slipped. "Plus it feels weird being here"

"Steve?" Tony asks, she nods.

"Yes, it makes it worse that he doesn't know. And I feel like he should know. Wouldn't you want to know that...." she sighs.

"It's not something you can just dump on him, Barbie, to the world cloning is a sorta new thing. Not many know that Howard was doing it 40 years before Dolly came along" he offers. "And not many agree with it...."

"So you are saying that he might react negatively to me?" she asks, he nods. She sighs and looks away. "Alright. I'll see you later" she offers and then turns to walk away. Tony sighs a little and turns back to his coffee.

...............

Sara's bike skids to a stop, kicking gravel up from the Salvage Yard, kicks out the stand and climbs off grabbing her bag from the back just as the door to the house opens and footsteps approach, Sara takes a breath and turns to face the person she knows is stood behind her. Dean Winchester. Blond hair, green eyes, utterly gorgeous. And the man who not a week ago broke her heart, shattered it really, into a million different pieces.

"What are you doing here?" Dean asks, Sara adjusts her bag up over her shoulder.

"Trust me I would rather be anywhere else, but Bobby called, said something happened to Sam"  she answers. "And seen as I have some level of medical training he thought it might be worth it if I check Sam over" he nods a little and sighs before looking to her.

"Listen, Sara, about the other day...." he starts.

"I'm here for Sam" she interrupts him. "That's it. I'll be gone before I can get in the way" she walks past him and towards the house, Dean takes a steadying breath and turns to follow her. When he'd sent her away it wasn't to hurt her, even though he knew it would, it was to protect her, to keep her safe, seen as Crowley was able to get his hands on her, was able to shove a demon inside of her and put her in the hospital. And all he wanted was to get her out, to make her go far away so that they couldn't hurt her, but clearly his family has other ideas. 


	5. Chapter Four

Dean leans in the doorway of the shelter in Bobby's basement watching Sara, she looks tired, drained and it hurts him. All he wants to do is hug her, kiss it all better like he's done in the past, but it won't work this time, it'll only make it worse. But he has missed her, less then seven days without her with them, less then seven days of her laughing at his stupid jokes. They've travelled through time together, visited alternate realities, fought the devil, killed vampires, ghost, werewolves, wraiths, shifters, reapers, angels, demons, leprechauns and so much more together. He remembers clear as day the day they met, the first time he'd seen her. He will always remember that day.

…..............

**Four years ago:**

Dean and Sam had been hunting a shifter, nasty sob that was really digging his claws into the podunk town. They'd tracked it to a warehouse and come across two blondes, two 'Sara's' fighting. Dean and Sam had raised their guns and the two women snapped their heads around, eyes widening.

“No no no, wait” both stated holding up their hands. “Please, it's her” they both pointed to one another. Dean and Sam shared a look, a silent conversation passing between them. Dean looked between the two of them, the eyes usually give them away, the human has human expression, human emotions and the monster doesn't. He'd seen her straight off, the difference between the two of them and he'd shot the shifter and the real Sara hadn't flinched at all, she'd lowered her hands.

“What was that thing? Why did it look like me?” She asked staring down at the body of her 'shadow-self', a carbon copy of herself, which had really freaked her out, given what she is.

“A shifter” Dean had told her, walking closer pulling a blade from his belt. “Touch this for me, sweetheart” he told holding out the silver blade, she'd looked at him with such a look of frustration and annoyance but she was a good sport and she'd touched it, raising an eyebrow at the two of them.

“Did I pass your little test?” she'd asked, a small smirk creeping onto her lips. Dean huffed a laugh and held out his hand.

“Dean Winchester” he'd told her, smouldering a sexy little smirk at her.

“Sara” she offered. “Sara Lance” and they'd stared at one another, eyes locked. Green on blue.

…......

**Present:**

Dean is pretty sure that was the moment he'd fallen in love with her, and he never believed in that love at first sight crap, but now four years later he knows that he does, with her, believe in that. And he'd....broken it, hurt her and he fears that when this is all over, he might never be able to fix it. And the sex, he's been with his share of women, he's been with a lot of men's share of women but Sara. It was so much more in every single way. And he won't ever have it as good, he knows that, and yet he still pushed her away from him. And watching her now, he just....misses her.

“Sara...” he states stepping forward.

“If there's one thing” Tony's voice sounds from Sara's jacket pocket and she groans hanging her head. “I've proven it's that you can count on me to pleasure myself” Dean snorts a laugh before Sara snatches her phone from her pocket and answers it.

“Stop changing my ring tone” she hisses into the phone, Dean can hear chuckling on the other end. Tony's chuckling. “It's not funny, you know I don't know how to change it back. What do you want? I told you I'd call you later”

“Terminator keeps asking me where you are and when you're coming back” Tony answers. “He's even following me around, I'm currently hiding in a supply closet” he admits.

“Tony, you know I can never figure out your stupid nicknames, just use their real names”

“Barnes” Tony groans.

“Bucky?” she asks. “Why is he looking for me?” Tony screams and Sara holds the phone away from her ear cringing slightly before setting it on speaker and setting it on the side, Dean raises an eyebrow as they listen to Tony arguing with someone, gruff mumbles and slight growling, whirling of a metal arm. Sara sighs lifting one of Sam's eyelids to shine a light into it.

“What is going on?” Dean asks, she sighs again and shrugs.

“How should I know?” she asks back and then glances over her shoulder at him. “My brother has his friends staying” she points out. “It's chaos”

“Is that where you've been staying?” he asks, she looks back to Sam. “I only wanted to know you're okay” he whispers.

“Give me the phone!!” there is another yell from the phone and a whirl of metal before it is quiet, Sara and Dean look to the phone. Sara raises an eyebrow and then cocks her head.

“Bucky?” she asks.

“I urm....when are you coming back?” Bucky asks down the phone. Sara clears her throat and looks to Dean who raises an eyebrow at her, she looks to the phone.

“Soon” she answers. “What ever it is I am sure one of the others could help you”

“No” Bucky grumbles. “I just....How do I find that television show?” He asks. “The one with the doctors”

“Just ask Friday” Sara answers. “She'll help you”

“I don't trust it” Bucky growls. “It's everywhere”

“It's an AI, Bucky” she points out with a small smile. “She is programmed to be everywhere, she's perfectly safe”

“Oh” Bucky breaths.

“Bucky, I have to go....I'll be back soon, okay?”

“Okay” Bucky mumbles, Sara reaches over and hangs up with a sigh before standing and sliding her cell phone away.

“What happened?” she asks Dean. “To Sam” she elaborates.

“The wall Death put up” he answers. “Cas broke it”

“Castiel? Why would he do that?” Dean looks away from her and sighs. Sara raises an eyebrow at him. “Dean?”

“Go home, Sara” he answers. “Thank you for checking on Sam but....go home, we don't need you here” Sara stares at him, she swallows the lump in her throat and nods before she grabs her bag.

“If you have it then set up an iv with fluids” she tells him, her voice breaking a little and then she starts to leave, but pauses at his side. “Oh...and I no longer have a home” she admits as she pulls her bag over her shoulder. “It was you” she admits, Dean clenches his jaw and looks away. “Whatever is going on, whatever you can't trust me with....I hope you win” she tells him before she leaves. Dean rubs his hands over his face and then scrubs at his eyes before taking a deep breath and pushing it down.

….............

Sara sets a bottle of painkillers on the counter next to Bobby's elbow as the older man rubs his temples. She touches his shoulder and smiles a little, he takes her hand.

“You staying?” he asks, she shakes her head.

“No” she answers.

“Sara” Bobby begs.

“I can't” she argues back letting go of his hand. “I'll not stay where I'm not wanted”

“I called you, I want you here” Bobby corrects.

“It's fine, I'm staying with my brother for a few days and then I'll....figure something else out” she cups his cheek and smiles softly at him. “I'll call though”

“Make sure you do”

“You worry too much, old man” she teases lightly.

“Someone has to worry about you kids” he offers back. Sara smiles sadly at him.

“Take care, Bobby Singer”

“And you, Sara Lance” he counters, she nods. Okay so maybe she isn't completely honest with everyone, but Stark is a very well known name, especially when they know her brother is called Tony. And Lance is her civilian surname, and as much as she hates lying to these people, the people she cares about, but this has gone on far to long for her to tell the truth now. She turns and leaves. Heading to her bike she takes a few heavy breathes trying to control her emotions. Her bag slips down her arm and she grabs the strap before throwing it towards her bike, as it hits it the bike falls onto it's side and Sara takes a shaky breath before leaning over and setting her hands on her knees.

“I am 62 years old” she whispers to herself. “I am not some whimpering little teenager” she straightens up, schooling her expression and taking a deep breath. She grabs her bag and corrects the bike before climbing on setting her bag in the saddle bag.

 


	6. Chapter Five

Sara barely hears the elevator doors open, her mind elsewhere, it's all just catching up to her, the last week just hitting her. She'd tried so hard to keep herself in control of her emotions, to keep control of herself and it's all just been building and building and now she is cracking. All noise is just...static in her ears and she is pretty sure she can't actually remember riding home. She doesn't even register Bucky stood across from her on the other side of the elevator.

“Stark?” he asks watching her, a slight wrinkle between his eyes. She's staring at him but her eyes are glassy, blank, lost. “Sara?” he asks. She blinks rapidly and the light in her eyes returns, and she notices him.

“Bucky” she greets plastering on a fake, tense smile.

“Are you okay?” Bucky asks, Sara nods a little leaving the elevator, he looks to her as she drops her bag to the floor.

“I'll see you in the morning” she whispers passing him, he watches her go and frowns, something is wrong, and she doesn't know or trust him enough to talk about it.

................

Bucky watches Tony as he sits in bed reading from a tablet resting against his raised knees.

“She's back” Tony squeals a little and glares at Bucky who steps out of the shadow of the playboy's bedroom. “She's back” Bucky repeats. “Something's wrong”

“Look, just leave Sara alone, she deals with things her own way, she always has, she'll be fine tomorrow”

“And if we wake up and the kitchen is filled with pies?” Bucky asks, Tony raises an eyebrow.

“You've known her three days” Tony argues. “You don't know her at all.....just back off” Tony steps closer. “Men like you only screw her up”

“Men like me?” Bucky asks.

“Broken, damaged men with complicated backstories and massive issues ranging from daddy to aggression” Tony answers. “It's the men she gravitates towards, I blame Howard and so many others....I actually prefer it when she dates chicks...just leave her alone” Tony shoots him a look and then walks away, leaving his own bedroom to escape the assassin. Bucky is left standing thoughtful.

…................

Sara lays in her bed staring at a framed photo of her, Tony, Howard and Maria. She misses Howard. For the first 36 years of her life he was her guardian, her father, her shoulder to cry on, her tutor and mentor and so many more things and even now she misses him. She would have talked to him about this, and he would have joked and told her everything she needed to make her laugh. Natasha knocks on the door before she steps into the room and closes the door behind her.

“Is this a boy hurt or a girl hurt?” Natasha asks, Sara looks to her. “So I know which pronoun to use in the trash talk” Sara stares at her for a moment before taking a deep breath.

“Boy hurt” Sara answers.

“He's a jerk, a big stupid jerk face” Natasha states and then holds up a flask in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

“I can't get drunk” Sara reminds her.

“I know” Natasha agrees. “So I figured” she shakes the flask. “Asgardian mead, I snatched it from Thor”

“Asgardian mead?” Sara asks sitting up. Natasha clears her throat and puts on her best Thor voice.

“Aged for a thousand years, in the barrels built from the wreck of Brunhilde's fleet” Natasha teases. “Come on, it's the good stuff, drink with me....we'll trash talk boys....and girls”

“No, thank you, Natasha” Sara tells her. “I'm not the best company right now....maybe later”

“One drink” Natasha begs. “Just one”

“I said no” Sara snaps, Natasha's eyes widen slightly. Sara had never snapped at her or Clint or anyone else in Shield, Sara is known to be polite and sweet and soft spoken, never snaps, never looks hardened as she does now.

“Okay” Natasha tells her. “But I'll leave this here” Natasha sets the flask down on the dresser. “You know just in case....” Natasha leaves and closes the door behind herself, she pulls the cap off the wine and starts drinking as she walks away. Sara stands from her bed and moves to the flask, she's never been a heavy drinker, she'd have a beer or a whiskey or a glass of champagne when the occasion occurred for but she's never been one for drinking alone to drown sorrows. But right now, all she wants to do is be like everyone else, to drink and forget and cry herself to sleep. She sniffs at the flask and raises an eyebrow.   
“Maybe this will work” she mumbles.

….............

Steve wakes to Bucky looming over him, Steve jumps a little and gives Bucky a small glare.

“What? Buck!” Steve scolds a little, Bucky stares back at him.

“How do I make pie?” Bucky asks, Steve frowns at him.

“What?” Steve repeats.

“She likes that apple cinnamon pie you like so I figured you knew how to make that” Bucky answers. “So how do I make it?” Steve frowns rubbing his eyes.

“You want to bake?” Steve asks. “What is going on? What time is it?”

“4am” Bucky answers, Steve shoots him an annoyed look.

“4am?” Steve asks. “Come on, Buck, this is not okay”

“Pie” Bucky reminds him. “I want to bake pie” Steve sighs and sits up a little.

“Okay, alright, I'll help you bake a pie” Steve swings his legs over the edge of the bed. “But maybe talk to Wilson about this new.....obsession”

“It's not a obsession” Bucky argues.

“Yesterday you sat staring at the elevator waiting for Sara to come back, in silence, you barely ate, have you slept?” Bucky makes a face. “I didn't think so. You do this thing” Steve tells him. “Or...this you does this thing. You find something and you latch onto it. When we first moved in you were obsessed with the microwave, and then jelly beans, and then that commercial with the singing giraffes....” Bucky nods and smirks a little.

“I liked the giraffes” Bucky tells him.

“Yeah, you did, and then you moved on...to chocolate cake....and then those spray cans of snow....and that weird dancing Sokovian cat that Wanda has....” Steve looks to him. “Do you see my point?” Bucky looks away. “Sara is just the next thing on that list....only difference is that she is a person, Buck, not an object, and when you move on to the next thing she could get hurt. And Tony's hospitality is already thinking after you attacked him in the closet”

“I didn't attack him” Bucky argues. “I stole his phone” Steve raises an eyebrow. “That's not better is it?” Bucky asks, Steve shakes his head.

“No, it's not” Steve agrees. “Sara is a nice girl, the type of girl that you used to be attracted to, so I understand why you've fixed on her. But she is a person, Buck, maybe...back off a little, just make sure this isn't another singing giraffe” Bucky sits on the edge of the bed and sighs.

“I still want the pie” he grumbles, Steve smiles a little and then laughs, Bucky laughs with him.

 


	7. Chapter Six

Sara sits in the kitchen with Tony who sets two coffee mugs onto the counter in front of her before he sits at her side. He's worried about her, he's never seen her this non-smiley before, that's what everyone loves about her, how quick and easy and always happy she is. And this isn't her. He swears if he ever sees this Dean Winchester.

“How's your friend?” he asks.

“Unconscious, but I think he'll wake up” she answers quietly.

“Are you okay?” he asks, she shrugs and looks to him.

“It just hit me” Sara tells Tony wrapping her fingers around the mug in her hand. “Yesterday on the way back here, it just...” she takes a breath and shakes her head. “Finally sunk in” she looks to Tony. “He doesn't....love me any more, maybe he never did” Tony takes her hand and squeezes, she stares at the wall ahead of her fighting her urge to cry.

“You can cry if you want” Tony whispers. “I won't tell anyone” she looks to him and shakes her head.

“This has never happened before” she tells him, he nods, he knows that, she's always been the one to break a relationship off, when someone got too close at knowing the real her, the true her, Dean is the first person she's been in a serious relationship with. And he'd broken up with her. “I don't know how to....” Sara starts. “Process this” she looks away. “My chest hurts” she admits. Tony watches her sadly, his sister is hurting and he has no idea how to fix it. She just needs to get through it and he knows she will be fine. “I need to bake” she adds. Tony sighs.

“No, you don't....” Tony corrects. “You are going to deal with this like everyone else” she looks to him. “Drink, punch and screw”

“No” She argues. “That's not me. I can't get drunk. I might actually kill someone with a punch. And I don't sleep around”

“Then curl up in front of the tv with ice cream and cry watching romcoms. Just deal with this...don't push it down” she snorts.

“You're one to talk.....all you do is bury everything” Sara stands grabbing her mug. “Like dealing with the Civil War thing....you're all living together but none of you are talking about it, you're all just ignoring the fact that not a year ago you were all fighting one another, that you broke them up and locked them away....for what? Pride?” she asks. “Don't council me on dealing with things when you clearly don't” she snaps and then walks away.

“I hate heartbroken you” Tony mumbles after her. “So grumpy”

…..............

Sara grabs a bo-staff from the stands in the gym, it's not her bo-staff but it'll do for a small training session.

“It's a very....elegant weapon” Steve states behind her. She glances to him over her shoulder.

“Is that Captain America speak for.... _girly_?” she asks turning to him.

“No” He is quick to argue. “Not girly.....elegant” Sara grabs another bo-staff and throws it at Steve who catches it. “What's this for?” he asks, Sara snaps her bo-staff up against the back of her arm.

“I want an opponent and you are here....so” she gives him a look. “Unless the bo-staff is too.... _girly_ for you, Cap?” Steve raises an eyebrow at her and spins the bo-staff in his hand.

“It's elegant” he corrects and then thrusts out the bo-staff, Sara counters it, blocking his attack, before she pushes back. And they're matched. Sara has her smaller frame and her agility on her side, Steve his strength and bigger frame on his, but they are both cut from the same cloth, she is his biological equal, she is him. But she's been training with the bo-staff since she was 12 years old, she was taking down men Steve's size when she was 16. Sara swings the bo-staff and swipes out Steve's legs, he drops backwards onto his back and Sara brings down the bo-staff to his neck.

“It's a very powerful weapon” Sara corrects his earlier statement, Steve chuckles as she pulls the bo-staff back from his neck. She snaps the staff against the back of her arm and holds out her free hand to Steve who takes it, she pulls him to him feet. “Don't feel so bad” she teases. “I picked up the bo-staff when I was 12, I've been wielding it a very long time.....I'm sure if we went shield to shield you would dance circles around me” he offers her a smile as she takes the bo-staff from Steve, she turns and sets them back onto their stands.

“Actually I came down here to talk to you about Bucky” Steve tells her as she starts to turn back to him.

“What about him?” Sara asks crossing her arms over her chest.

“I urm....I wondered how much you know about him”

“Not as much as I know about the rest of you, but I do know that the whole Civil War thing with you guys involved him, I know that the fall of Shield involved him, I know he's an old war pal of yours....” she pauses. “Childhood pal of yours” she corrects. “I know Tony has a problem with him and I know he was the Winter Soldier” Steve nods.

“Okay” he whispers thinking. “All of that is right, but there is so much more....and I want to explain as best I can before you get involved”

“Involved?” Sara asks. “Steve, I've just come out of a very serious, very complicated relationship, I have no interest in getting involved with Bucky....with anyone to be honest. But I will be his friend if that is what he wants....and he can tell me all those things that you want to tell me about him himself. When he is ready. I know you care about and you are looking out for him....It's okay, I don't....” she sighs. “Like I said, I've just come out of a relationship, maybe I just need a friend too” Steve nods and places his hand on her shoulder.

“How about we have coffee?” Steve asks. “I'm a great listener” he offers, she smiles a little and nods.

“That would actually be great” she answers, they both start to leave. “But none of that fancy stuff, just black coffee” Steve chuckles.

“Is there any other way to drink it?” he asks, Sara looks to him, her smile slipping slightly. Of course. They are the same person. They like the same things. Even their coffee.

…...................

Dean is laying across the impala front bench, with his boots pressed against the roof. He grunts pushing his feet up.

“Come on” The sound of groaning metal echoes as he tries to push the dented roof out with his feet. “Come on, baby!”

“So, you fixin' her or primal screamin'?” Bobby asks watching him. Dean extricates himself from the impala and accepts a beer from Bobby.

“Ah, thanks. How's Sam?”

“He's still under. But alive”

“Yeah? What about God part deux?”

“I got all kinds of feelers out, so far diddly” Bobby glances to him. “We could really use Sara..”

“No” Dean snaps. “No one is calling her. No one is dragging her into this”

“She's been part of this for 4 years....” Bobby argues. “That girl has pulled you and your brother out of sticky mess after sticky mess and now you are walking away from her, that's gratitude for you” Bobby points out. “That's love”

“I did it for her” Dean argues turning back to the car. “I did it because I....because I do love her. Because I am trying to keep her safe”

“You give her too little credit” Bobby accuses. Dean taps his finger on his bottle of beer. It's not that he gives her too little credit, it's that he knows she would do anything to protect them, to save them, just as he would, but she is worth more then them, she is worth protecting, her life is worth protecting. Dean closes his eyes and turns back to Bobby as he opens them. “What exactly are you looking for?” Bobby stares at Dean. “What exactly are you looking for?” Dean repeats, Bobby sighs.

“Exactly. What?” he asks back. “Miracles, mass visions, trenchcoat on a tortilla? I don't know what I'm lookin' for”

“Ah, well, he'll surface”

“So say we do suss out where "new and improved" flew off to..."”

“Yeah?” Dean asks.

“The hell we plan to do about it?”

“I don't know, Bobby, I got no more clue than you do”

“I don't even know what books to hit for this, Dean”

“Well, figure it out!” Dean snaps and then sighs. “I'm sorry. This ain't in no book. If you stick your neck out, Cas steps on it. So you know what I'm gonna do?”

“What?”

“Imma fix this car. Because that's what I can do. I can work on her 'til she's mint. And when Sam wakes up, no matter what shape he's in, we'll glue him back together too. We owe him that” Dean states, Bobby nods.

“I'm with you” Bobby tells him and then walks away, Dean lies back down in the impala and pauses, before he reaches under the driver's side, under the steering wheel to where a crumpled photo sits, having fallen from where it had been stuck on the dashboard. Smoothing out the edges he looks to it. A photo of him and Sara in their Frontierland costumes, just before their trip back to 1861. He sighs and sticks it back onto the dashboard before laying his head back.

 


	8. Chapter Seven

Sara stands at the kitchen counter cutting an apple into perfect slices, Steve sits across from her reading her mother's recipe as Bucky watches the tv across the room.

“This is very similar to my mother's” Steve tells Sara. “Though she'd add orange zest to the pastry” he admits. On the tv a breaking news announcement flashes onto the screen.

“The sudden deaths of some 200 religious leaders are currently under investigation. The Vatican has yet to issue a statement, but some are already calling this an act of God” On the tv screen, a woman is being interviewed outside the church.

“We all saw him. No beard, no robe. He was young...and...and sexy. He had a raincoat” Sara snaps her head up from the bowl and narrows her eyes.

“Raincoat?” she asks, Bucky glances to her from the couch.

“What?” he asks, she looks to the screen.

“Excuse me, I have to make a phone call” She tells them both before hurrying out of the room, Steve and Bucky share a look.

…...................

Sara paces in front of the huge floor to ceiling windows that look out over New York, her phone pressed to her ear, dialling. There is a click and the receiver picks up.

“Sara, what did I say?” Dean asks.

“Please tell me that the thing you're hiding from me is not Castiel turning all God on the world?” She asks into the phone.

“You want me to lie to you?” Dean asks, she sighs.

“Why didn't you tell me this? Castiel is my.....friend”

“That pause says otherwise” Dean counters.

“Fine, not friends, per say, but that doesn't mean I don't care about him....you should have told me, instead of pushing me away”

“It's none of your business any more, Sara, so back the hell off” Dean snaps at her, he cringes at little. “I'm sorry that...I didn't...” he sighs.

“You....you are a stubborn, pathetic little man, Dean Winchester” Sara tells him. “And I actually hate you”

“Sara” Dean whispers.

“I have never hated anyone in my entire life, never...” she admits. “But I hate you, I actually hate you and I hate that I hate you, I hate that you've made me feel hate....Don't worry, I'm backing the hell off” she sniffles and then hangs up, curling her fingers around her phone, it starts to shatter.

“Stark?” Bucky asks behind her, Sara keeps her head down and wipes a hand over cheek releasing the phone.

“Yes?” she asks back.

“Are you alright?” he asks her softly. She sighs and looks out the window in front of her.

“No” she admits. “I don't know what I did wrong” she whispers a little. “I've been going over it in my head, over and over trying to work out where it changed, what I did”

“Maybe you didn't do anything” he offers moving to sit next to her.

“You don't even know what...”

“I can guess” he interrupts. “Before I was a brainwashed assassin I was actually pretty good at reading the dames” she snorts a little and looks to him. “Women” he corrects a little. “These last few days” he looks to her. “It wasn't hard to figure out” he admits. Sara sets her head on his shoulder and he looks to her surprised. “Men can be morons” he offers. “It's probably nothing you did” he repeats.

“Three years” she tells him. “We practically lived together” she lifts her head and looks to him. “That's pretty serious, right?” she ask, he nods.

“Pretty serious” he agrees. “Moron” he tells her, she looks down. “Him...not you” he corrects. “I wasn't calling you a moron” Bucky closes his eyes and silent groans at himself.

“I know” she assures him. “Maybe I'm just too complicated”

“All women are complicated” he corrects, she shoots him a look, he shrugs back, she looks to her hand, brushes her thumb over a scar across the back of her other hand.

“I was created to become a soldier” she admits. “I was made to be utterly perfect in every single way” he frowns at her. “But I don't know....” she closes her eyes and sighs. “Maybe I was too sheltered, Howard, he sheltered me from everything and everyone....I didn't interact with another child until Tony was born, and the only adults I interacted until...until I was 21 were Howard, Maria and Jarvis, so I'm not very good with people, or emotions, or....” Bucky's frown deepens.

“You're older then Tony?” he asks. Her eyes widen when she realises she's talked too much, revealed too much, Tony is always telling her 'keep it a secret. Be your own woman, don't be just his clone'. That's why she doesn't tell people what she is, who she is, she likes being Sara Lance aka White Canary. She doesn't want to be Sara aka Captain America's Clone. Sara stands and looks everywhere but at Bucky.

“I should....go finish that pie” she mumbles and then walks away, Bucky is still frowning at her.

“What?” he asks himself and stands.

…............

Sara grabs the knife off the kitchen counter and goes back to the apples, Steve raises an eyebrow at her as she now chops them roughly. Bucky follows her back in and moves to her.

“Sara?” he asks.

“I don't want to talk about it” she answers him.

“You have to explain” Bucky tells her.

“I don't have to tell you anything” she curls her fingers tighter around the knife in her hand.

“Buck” Steve warns and shakes his head at his friend.

“I just....what you said” Bucky continues. “It doesn't make sense...” Sara turns to him and Tony appears in the doorway, looks to them before rushing to Sara.

“Let's take that from you” Tony plucks the knife from Sara's hand and gives her a look. “Take a deep breath”

“I'm sorry” Sara tells Tony, he frowns at her as he sets the knife on the side.

“What?” he asks her.

“I'm sorry” she repeats.

“Which one of you is older?” Bucky asks looking between Sara and Tony.

“Me, obviously” Tony answers, Sara sighs. “What?” Tony asks her.

“I slipped” she admits, Tony looks to Bucky and Steve.

“Whatever she said; she was wrong. She has no idea what she is saying” he tells them both and pulls Sara away from the two super soldiers. He shoots Bucky a look as they leave the room, Steve looks to Bucky who is clenching his jaw and frowning.

“What's going on?” Steve asks him.

“I have a feeling” Bucky answers.

“A feeling?” Steve asks sceptically, Bucky nods.

“A Winter Soldier feeling” Bucky answers. “Something is going on, they're hiding something” Steve shoots Bucky a look. “It's not my obsession talking....” Steve doesn't believe him, one little bit. “I'll talk to Wilson” Bucky mumbles and then walks away. Bucky is going to see Sam Wilson, he is, but he's going to get into Sara's files from Sam's computer and find out what is going on, because all his paranoid alarms are going off inside his head.

 


	9. Chapter Eight

Sara sits on the love seat in Tony's lab as he sits at his desk watching her, she takes a breath and looks to him.

“It's okay” Tony tells her. “It'll pass, just stay out of his way for a few days and he'll forget about it”

“It was just nice to talk to someone” she admits. “Someone that didn't know me the way you or they know me. I just wanted to talk to someone about this....and I know it shouldn't have been Bucky, but I literally have no one else” she looks to Tony. “I can't talk to anyone about who I am, Tony”

“You can talk to me” Tony corrects.

“No, I can't. You're my brother. Your father created me. I can't...talk to you about any of this” Tony sighs a little.

“Well...I guess you could talk to Wilson, he's a councillor”

“Of soldiers with PTSD” Sara reminds him. “I'm not a soldier and I don't have PTSD. I just screwed up a relationship, that's not worthy of counselling”

“It wasn't your fault, you're genetically perfect, Barbie, he screwed up, not you”

“That doesn't make me perfect, Tony” she argues. “I am not perfect” she pulls her sleeves down over her hands, she looks to Tony. “I had to have done something wrong” Tony pushes his chair over to her and takes her hand.

“Stop” he scolds. “Just stop. This isn't you” Tony pulls her hand closer and lifts her chin. “You don't let things get you down. Something good will come of this”

“What is good about being alone?” she asks.

“You are not alone” Tony reminds her. “And something good will come of this....no man should ever make you feel like this” he kisses her forehead and pulls back. “How about we go out for dinner?” he asks. “Just you and me” she nods and smiles at him.

….............

Bucky sits across from Wilson as he talks at the former assassin, part of Tony's deal when they moved into the refurbished tower, counselling, no weapons (Though they'd folded and allowed him one knife), and he's supposed to stay away from Tony, which he's already failed at.

“How are you sleeping?” Wilson asks, Bucky looks to him. “Are you sleeping?” Bucky stares at Wilson before looking down.

“I try” Bucky admits. “Most nights I lay there staring at the ceiling till about 3am and then I walk around” Sam raises an eyebrow.

“And the last few days?” Bucky fidgets with his hands. “What about Sara?”

“What about her?” Bucky growls, the plates in his arm whirling.

“Tell me about her” Sam presses. Bucky looks away. “Just talk about her” Bucky fidgets with his metal hand. What harm can it do if he talks about her with Sam? Sam legally can't talk about it to anyone else, everything Bucky says here is confidential. Bucky takes a breath and looks to Sam. Before he does talk about Sara.

…................

In Bobby's basement, Bobby lights a match and throws it into a bowl where it erupts into a huge flame. There's a devil's trap scrawled on the floor. Crowley, king of Hell, king of the crossroads, demon, appears inside the Devil's trap, with a glass of whiskey in his hand.

“No. No! NO! Come on!” Crowley complains.

“Don't act so surprised” Bobby counters.

“My new boss is going to kill me for even talking to you lads”

“Well, you're lucky we're not stabbing you in your scuzzy face, you little piece..” Dean argues.   
“Whoa, wait! What new boss?” Sam asks.

“Castiel, you giraffe”

“Is your boss?” Bobby asks.

“Is everybody's boss. What do you think he's going to do if he finds out we've been conspiring? You do you want to conspire, don't you?”

“No. We want you to just stand there and look pretty”

“Thought that was....” Crowley looks around and frowns. “Where's Precious?” he asks looking to Dean who clenches his jaw, Crowley smirks. “Oh, trouble in paradise?”

“We need a spell to bind Death” Dean states trying to ignore Crowley's comment about Sara.

“Bind? Enslave Death? You having a laugh?”

“Lucifer did it” Dean points out.

“That's Lucifer” Crowley counters.

“A spell's a spell” Sam adds.

“You really believe you can handle that kind of horsepower? You're delusional!”

“Death is the only player on the board left that has the kind of juice to take Cas” Dean argues.

“They'll both mash us like peas. Why should I help with a suicide mission?” Crowley asks.

“Look!” Bobby snaps. “Do you really want Cas running the universe?” he asks, Crowley looks down and pours himself another drink.

…...............

Sara sits on her bed fastening the clasp on her shoes before standing and grabbing her coat and heading to the door, there's a noise behind her and she turns to find a piece of paper fluttering to the floor, Sara raises an eyebrow and picks it up before reading it. It is the spell Sam, Dean and Bobby asked Crowley for.

…..................

Dean pours himself a drink in Bobby's study and runs his hand over his face. He sighs as his cell phone rings and he grabs it from the table, closes his eyes seeing Sara's name. He sets it back down, ignoring it. The ringing stops and he relaxes a little. And then it starts ringing again, he sighs and hangs his head.

“Dean, you going to answer that?” Bobby asks motioning to the phone, Dean shakes his head and looks away. Bobby shakes his head and answers the phone. “Sara” he greets. “Really?” Bobby asks, Dean looks to him. “Really?” Bobby asks again. “I don't think that's a good idea” Bobby scoffs. “Now who's being childish...I'll talk to them” he hangs up and turns to Dean. “Crowley came through” Dean raises an eyebrow. “He gave Sara the spell to bind Death”

“Of course he did” Dean mumbles. “So what is it?”

“No idea, she refused to tell me.....” Bobby shoots him a look. “I wonder why” Dean grabs his drink and leaves the room. Bobby shakes his head disappointed.

…..............

Dean sits at the computer and opens the phone tracking software.

“What are you doing?” Sam asks standing behind him.

“Tracking Sara's cell” Dean answers, Sam shoots him a look.

“Dean, you sent her away....”

“Crowley gave the spell to Sara and she won't tell Bobby...so” Dean argues typing away.

“Can you blame her?” Sam asks. “Dean” Dean leans back and raises an eyebrow, Sam leans over his shoulder, eyes widening. “Is that?” Sam asks.

“The new Avenger tower?” Dean asks. “Yeah” Dean answers nodding.

“Why is Sara there?” Sam asks back. Dean stands and grabs his jacket.

“Let's find out” Dean answers, Sam looks to him and shakes his head. “What?”

“Look you know I love Sara” Sam answers. “But you sent her away....you broke her heart. I just don't think you going is a good idea”

“I'm going” Dean states back and then leaves. Sam sighs and the follows after him, even just to save his big brother from doing more damage, he's convinced it will all be fixed, that Sara will come back to them.

 


	10. Chapter Nine

Bucky looks up from the tablet he'd stolen from Wilson's office as Sara walks passed him towards Tony who is pulling on his jacket, Bucky stares at Sara, she's all dressed up and she looks like she belongs in the 40's, and he actually loves it. Tony smiles and holds up her coat for her helping her put it on. Sara glances to Bucky who is still staring at her, she offers him a smile and his lips twitch up into his own one subconsciously. This has got to be more than just another of his obsessions, none of them felt like this, none of them....it's got to be more then just another singing giraffe. Even though he really did like those giraffes. Steve enters the room heading for Bucky who shoves the tablet behind his back quickly. Steve raises an eyebrow at his friend before noting Sara and Tony.

“Where are you two going?” Steve asks, Sara wraps the tie of her coat around her waist as Tony smirks.

“I'm taking my favourite sister out for dinner to cheer her up” Sara scoffs and looks to him.

“I'm your only sister” She corrects, Tony shrugs and smirks at her.

“Still need cheering up” he offers and touches her arm.

“Well you look beautiful, Sara” Steve tells her, she smiles.

“Thank you” she responds warmly.

“Ready to go?” Tony asks, she nods and they leave together, Bucky watches her walk away. Steve turns to him and shakes his head a little. Bucky glares at his friend and then walks away.

…...........

Bucky sits on the edge of his bed touching the tablet's screen flicking through Sara's file, problem is that it is all redacted, all of it except her name: Sara Stark and her code name: White Canary. Every single other piece of information is blacked out. Everything. He throws it onto the bed beside him and sighs. There has to be something, somewhere. He runs his hands over his legs and then stands. He knows that his new idea is absolutely going to get him into trouble. If he is caught. He smirks a little and leaves his room.

…...........

Bucky looks around approaching Sara's bedroom in Tony's wing of the tower before he turns the handle pushing the door open and steps in. It's clean, Steve clean, everything in it's place and everything folded and neat. The only thing out of place is the open wardrobe doors and the duffel sticking out of them. He moves to it and crouches pulling the bag the rest of the way out. He pulls the weapons out of the bag one by one and sets them next to him before he touches the cover of the journal, looking to it he pulls it out of the back and opens it up, touches the pie recipe on the first page before quickly flicking through the pages, her handwriting is precise, neat, elegant, even artistic. His eyes scan the pages, normal young woman things, she complains about Tony and the time he spent away from her, how she hated being alone in the Stark mansion, how lonely she was. But the later things, the last few years, the loose entries she talks about vampires, werewolves, ghosts, shapeshifters, demons, angels.....and Dean. Lots and lots on Dean, photos and sketches. She really loved him, even Bucky can see that. The way she writes about him and his brother and how much she loves travelling with them, loves working with them and living with them. And yeah, Bucky is a little jealous, a lot jealous.

“Bucky?” Steve asks pushing open Sara's bedroom door, Bucky looks up startled and closes the journal. “What are you doing?” Steve scolds.

“Nothing” Bucky mumbles standing and slipping the journal into the back of his trousers.

“Tony is this close to kicking us out” Steve warns. “And now you're rifling through his sister's pantie draw” Bucky pulls a face at his friend.

“I'm not in her pantie draw and don't say pantie....it's weird. I was just looking for something”

“What?” Steve asks.

“Just something to explain.....her. I can't shake this feeling”

“But this...” Steve motions to the emptied duffel bag on the floor. “Put it all back and get out....I'll try and get Nat or Bruce to wipe this from Friday's drive” Steve shakes his head disappointed before leaving. Bucky grumbles under his breath, mocking his friend as he slides the weapons into the bag. He thought he had an array but Sara, she's got all sorts. He frowns holding up a canister of salt. Shakes his head and places it back into the bag before standing and setting it back into her wardrobe before leaving.

…..............

Sam and Dean stare up at the Avengers tower. Both in awe, it's one thing seeing it one tv or in pictures but actually standing below it is something else.

“Wow” Sam breaths.

“Hold back the fangirling, Sammy, we're here for a spell only” Dean walks into the tower and Sam sighs and follows after him. Dean is stood looking around the lobby, an eyebrow raised. He sighs and looks to Sam. “You do it” Dean nudges Sam who rolls his eyes and heads towards the front desk.

“Hi, we're looking for Sara Lance” Sam states to the security officer behind the desk, name tag reading H. Hogan. Happy looks over both men before typing into the computer.

“Miss Lance is currently not in the building” Happy tells them. “Perhaps you could leave a message...” the computer pings and Happy raises an eyebrow looking down at it. “You're in luck, it seems she as just returned” Happy motions to the elevator as it opens, Sara and Tony stepping out of it laughing.

“Oh you've got to be kidding me” Dean grumbles.

“Well...it's a step up from you” Sam mumbles to his brother. Dean shoots him a look. “Well he is”

“Sir” Happy states. “Miss” he greets.

“Happy” Sara greets breaking into a huge genuine smile.

“It's good to see you again, Sara” Happy turns informal as she hugs him. “You have some visitors” he whispers to her, she pulls back and looks to Sam and Dean.

“So I see” she offers. “Thank you, Happy” she tells man warmly.

“Holler if you need me, honey” Happy offers and then walks back to his desk.

“So you two...” Dean starts motioning between Sara and Tony. “Are you...I mean was it a date?” he asks, Tony and Sara stare at him.

“Ewww” they both state together in disgust at the thought.

“She's my sister” Tony argues. Dean looks to Sara.

“Your brother is Tony Stark?” Dean asks. “As in genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist Tony Stark?”

“Yes” Sara answers crossing her arms over her chest. “You knew my brother was called Tony” she points out.

“Yeah we did but your last name is Lance” Dean argues.

“My civilian surname is Lance” Sara corrects. “I was raised a Stark”

“So you lied” Dean sneers. “You lied about.....about who you are”

“And you lie about who you are on every hunt” she points out. “I tell people I am a Stark and they expect some genius with tons of money....well I am not a genius and I don't have tons of money. People get disappointed”

“You're not stupid either, Sara” Sam offers. She looks to Dean.

“Experience says otherwise” she counters, Dean looks to her.

“Sara...” He starts.

“Let's go upstairs” Tony offers touching Sara's arm. “Get a drink”

“No” Sara states. “They're here for the spell....which they'll get, and then they'll leave” she turns and heads to the elevator. Tony glares at Dean as he and Sam follow Sara.

….............

The elevator ride is tense, Sam, Dean, Sara and Tony riding in silence, tense, unbearable silence. Sara reaches up and pulls the pins from her hair and shakes it out with a sigh.

“Friday, anything to report?” Tony asks shrugging out of his jacket.

“It has been an uncharacteristically quiet night” Friday answers. “Thankfully” Tony hums in agreement. Sam looks to Sara.

“Friday is an....?” Sam asks.

“Natural-language user interface” Tony answers. Sam nods a little.

“Why did Crowley give you the spell?” Dean asks, Sara looks to him.

“How should I know” she answers. “I didn't speak to him, I didn't even know it was Crowley till now. Of course if you'd tell me what was going on....” 

“No” Dean interrupts and then sighs. “Why didn't you tell us?” he asks. “About...your real name” he elaborates.

“I told you” she answers.

“The real reason” he counters looking to her.

“There are many reason” Sara tells him. “None of them any of your business, any more” the elevator pings announcing their arrival to the Avengers floor. The doors open and Sara leaves first, the others following behind. “Wait here” Sara tells Sam and Dean and then walks away leaving the room. Tony turns on them both.

“I'm not going to hurt you” Tony tells Dean. “Despite how much I want to, because my sister is a pure soul and even hurting someone who hurt her will upset her. But I think it's best for everyone if after you've gotten what you want from her today, you don't ever contact her again”

“Hey, you're back, how was dinner?” Steve asks entering the room with Bucky who looks around for Sara. Dean leans closer to Sam.

“I'm trying really hard not to freak out right now” Dean states staring at Steve who raises an eyebrow back.

“Who are they?” Bucky grumbles at Steve's side.

“Leaving” Sara answers walking back into the room. “It seems Crowley took it back”

“What?” Sam asks.

“I put the spell in my journal” Sara answers. “And my journal is gone. So there is nothing here for you. You can leave”

“Your journal is gone?” Tony asks.

“From my bag, yes” Sara answers, Steve looks to Bucky who rubs the back of his neck.

“Fix this” Steve growls a little. Bucky steps forward pulling the journal from the back of his trousers, Sara looks to him.

“Bucky” she states moving to him, he holds out the journal. “You took my journal?” she asks taking it from him.

“I'm sorry” Bucky tells her. “I was just...trying to find an explanation”

“For what?” Sara asks.

“You” he answers. “You're nothing like Howard or Tony....I....I just needed an explanation” Sara smiles a little.

“Howard's not my real father” Sara points out. “Howard rescued me when I was 5, took me in, raised me....not a real Stark” she explains as Tony steps closer.

“Okay that's it” Tony starts, Sara sighs. “I think Terminator's broken too many rules” Steve looks to Tony.

“Tony” he begs.

“When I agreed to let the half mad brainwashed former assassin into my tower, rules were laid out....And I've let some things slip...And I gave him a new arm”

“Shuri gave me a new arm” Bucky corrects.

“I helped” Tony snaps.

“Can we not argue about this now?” Sara asks opening her journal and flicking through the pages before finding the loose piece of paper with the spell on. She pulls it free and closes the journal before handing over the spell to Sam. “Be careful, Sammy” she tells him. He nods and gives her a smile. “I'm glad you're feeling better, back on your feet....” she touches his arm.

“Sara” Sam starts. “I'm sorry” he whispers.

“We're okay” she assures him. “This doesn't change our friendship” she promises him. “We're still friends” she smiles and lets go of his arm. “Good luck...you know....binding Death” Bucky and Steve frowns as Tony snorts.

“Thank you” Sam tells her and looks to Dean who clenches his jaw and turns away, Sam and Sara share a look and she shrugs. Tony steps forward to interfere, Sara takes his arm and stops him. “Goodbye, Sara” Sam tells her warmly.

“Goodbye, Sammy” she counters, he turns and follows Dean. “Oh” Sara starts Sam and Dean turn to her. “Take pickles” she reminds them, both brothers smile a little and then step into the elevator. Dean and Sara share a look as the doors close, she looks away and turns to Tony. “Now you can argue....but I forgive Bucky” she touches Tony's arm. “For everything” she tells him. “I know you don't....but everyone deserves a chance to reform”

“You're too kind, Sara” Tony reminds her, she smiles.

“It's in my DNA” she teases a little, he snorts. “You keep telling me that Howard created me to be utterly perfect....in every single way” she takes a breath. “I think everyone needs a fresh start....built on the truth” she and Tony share a look, he cups her cheek and nods.

“If that's what you want, Barbie” Tony agrees, the elevator pings again behind them and the doors open, Sam and Dean step out, Dean looks to Sara.

“It's in Latin” he states.

“And?” Tony asks, Dean is still watching Sara.

“No one reads Latin like you” he tells her and then holds out the spell to her.

 


	11. Chapter Ten

Sara paces looking over the list of ingredients in her hand, Tony is glaring at Dean as Steve and Bucky lean against the back of the couch.

“So...Death is a real person?” Steve asks. “And this is a spell...to control him?”

“Yes” Sam answers.

“Why?” Bucky asks.

“That's what they won't tell me” Sara answers.

“Dean” Sam states shooting him a look, Dean sighs.

“Cas” Dean tells Sara who looks to him. “He...opened a gate to Purgatory, took in the souls of all the monsters, and is now calling himself a God. The God. And we figured if anyone can stop him.....It's Death”

“I could have helped” Sara scolds. “But you would rather not be...distracted. Or constantly looking out for me, right? Because I just get in the way......” Dean looks down. “And now you are here asking for me help” she lowers the spell in her hand. “And you....you just expected me to help” she frowns and looks to Tony. “Because that's the type of person I was born to be” she sighs and looks back to the spell. “I hate Howard right now” she grumbles, Tony chuckles a little. She touches the ingredients on the list and wrinkles her nose.

“Sara?” Dean asks.

“Well, I've got most of this stuff in my duffel” Sara states looking over the list.

“Most?” Dean asks. “What are you missing?” he asks, she looks to him.

“An act of God crystallised forever” she answers.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Bucky asks, Sara looks to him.

“I think it means an actual crystal” she answers. “See, lightning strikes sand at the right angle - it crystallises into the perfect shape of itself”

“Lightning. Act of God” Sam adds, Sara looks to him, eyes lighting up with an idea.

“Or a God” she offers and smirks.

“What?” Sam asks.

“A God of Thunder” she elaborates.

“Thor” Steve catches on. Sara nods.

“Thor” she agrees. “We get him to hit some sand with the power of Mjolnir and we've got a fulgurate” Dean smiles watching her. Tony glares at Dean.

“This is her getting in the way?” Tony asks, Sara looks to him.

“Tony” she snaps.

“No, I'm sorry, I'm not just going to let this go. Other then him” Tony points to Steve. “You are Howard's greatest achievement. You do not get to be treated like a pet”

“She was not a pet” Dean argues.

“But that's exactly how you have treated her” Tony snaps. “You didn't want her any more so you dropped her off at the pound”

“Tony!” Steve snaps noting Sara's expression, to be fair, referring to her as a dog was probably not the best way to go for Tony.

“She wasted years being devoted to you” Tony tells Dean. “Because that is who she is, she loves and cherishes and adores with every fibre of her being.....an actual flaw as it turns out” Sara looks away. “You don't deserve her help” Tony tells Dean. “You didn't deserve her love, not for you to throw her away when you were done”

“I did it to protect her” Dean snaps. “I saw her bandaged and injured in a hospital bed and I choose to send her away and keep her safe rather then to keep her close and risk her life!” Dean admits. Sara looks to him.

“Hospital bed?” Tony asks turning to Sara. “You got hurt enough to be in hospital”

“Yeah, I got hurt...” She admits.

“She got possessed” Dean corrects.

“Possessed?” Steve asks, Sara looks to him.

“Certain creatures require human bodies to interact with the physical world” she answers. “These are normally spiritual beings such as angels and demons. I was possessed by a demon, it made me stab myself....in the liver”

“Urm...this might be a stupid question, but demon?” Bucky asks. Sara looks to him.

“When a human dies they go to Heaven....or they go to Hell depending on the choices made when alive” Sara explains. “Wicked and evil humans that are sentenced to Hell upon death, their souls are tortured, twisted and corrupted, and they became demons” Thor walks into the room and looks to Sara.

“Friday said you wanted to see me” he tells her and then notes the room. “I can come back” he offers.

“No” Sara argues. “It was perfect timing” she whispers. “I need you to create a fulgurate” she walks out of the room with him. Tony glares at Dean. Steve grabs Tony's shoulder.

“Come on, let's you and I go get a drink” Steve leads Tony away. Bucky looks to Sam and Dean. Bucky taps his fingers on his metal arm as Dean starts to pace, Sam sighs a little. They're silent, which is a rare occurrence, the plates in Bucky's arm the only sound over their breathing. Bucky hates the silence.

“How did you meet Sara?” Bucky asks, trying to fill it.

“We saved her from a shifter” Sam answers. “About four years ago” Bucky frowns a little. “It takes on another person's physical appearance and access the thoughts of any living person they mimic” Sam explains.

“So...It's human?” Bucky asks.

“Yeah. I mean, it's human, more or less” Dean answers. “Has human drives like jealously, greed, loneliness. But it generates its own skin, it can shape it to match someone else's features, you know, taller, shorter, male, female....”

“So it could be anyone?” Bucky asks, his paranoid alter ego starting to creep in. Sam gives Dean a look, Dean looks to Bucky.

“There's an easy way to check” Dean tells him, Bucky looks up. “Silver....wear a ring or get a knife...as soon as you touch one it irritates them...”

“Silver” Bucky mumbles.

“Sara wears a silver ring” Sam points out. “That way when she shakes someone's hand...”

“I see” Bucky nods. “That explains some of the weird things in Sara's bag”

“Like what?” Sam asks a little amused.

“Urm...the salt” Bucky adds.

“Ghosts and demons” Dean tells him.

“Can we go back to the demons?” Bucky asks. “I mean...What makes someone go to Hell?” Bucky asks. “What does it take?” Sam gets their first,

“You won't go to Hell” Sam answers, Bucky looks down. “The Winter Soldier had no free will, no choice, no....” Sam smiles a little. “You saved more people during the war then you killed as the Soldier” Bucky looks to him and Dean, Sam gives Dean a look.

“Yeah” Dean agrees. “We know evil....evil doesn't feel bad for the things that they've done” Bucky looks to him, Dean nods. “You're not evil”

“You don't know the things I've done” Bucky tells him. “Things that there's no forgiveness for”

“Well, that's the thing about forgiveness, Bucky” Sara states from the doorway as she walks in, Bucky, Dean and Sam look to her. “You can't get it until you ask for it” she looks at Bucky, offers him a small smile and then looks to Sam and Dean, she raises the crystal in her hand. “Turns out Tony is having the floor two levels down renovated, had sand lying around.....” she looks to Bucky. “Want to meet Death?” she asks.

“Do I?” Bucky asks back.

“Whatever you're imagining” Dean starts. “You're wrong” he teases a little, Bucky looks to him. “Trust me, the picture in your mind....is wrong”

…...............

Sara sets a bowl on a table in the living room as Sam and Dean move the furniture out of the way, Tony, Steve and Bucky stand by the bar watching the three of them move around each other in sync, without having to say a word. Sara grabs a stick of chalk and draws a sigil on the table, Tony whines a little.

“You can afford a new one” Sara counters it shooting Tony a look before setting a bunch of candles on the table before lighting them. Sam sets a bowl at her elbow and Dean hands her the fulgurate, they share a look and she turns away holding the crystal over the bowl before crushing it in her hands, Sam pours the rest of the ingredients into it and shakes the bowl, Sara takes the bowl and sets it on the sigil before grabbing the knife from the side.

“Here...” Dean offers his arm, Sara stares at him and cuts her own arm holding it over the bowl. Dean shakes his head and steps away as she bleeds into the bowl before stepping back.

“Ready?” she asks looking to Tony, Bucky and Steve.

“Wait” Tony answers and grabs a drink from the bar. “Okay” Tony tells her. Dean sets a take out bag on the table next to him and nods to Sara, she takes a breath and looks to the bowl.

“Te nunc invoco, mortem” the rooms starts to shake. Steve and Bucky share a look.

“Maybe this was a bad idea” Steve mumbles.

“Te in mea potestate defixi” the glass behind Tony's bar starts to shatter.

“My whiskey!” Tony complains.

“Nunc et in aeternum!” Everything stops. Sara, Sam and Dean look around for Death.

“Um... Hello? Death?” Dean asks, Death appears behind Dean.

“You're joking” he scoffs, the five 'humans' in the room look to him.

“Sonofabitch” Tony states in disbelief.

“Language” Steve and Sara mumble together.

“Sorry, Death” Dean offers. “This isn't what it seems”

“Seems like you bound me” Death points out holding up his hands, a magical set of chains appear from wrist to wrist.

“For good reason, okay? Just, uh, hear us out” Dean moves to the food bag and picks it up. “Um... Fried pickle chip? They're the best in the state”

“That easy to soothe me, you think? This is about Sam's hallucinations, I assume?” Sara and Dean look to Sam.

“What?” they ask together.

“Sorry, Sam. One wall per customer” Death holds up his hands. “Now unbind me” he demands.

“We can't.” Sam points out, Death looks to him. “Y-yet” Sam adds.

“This isn't going to end well” Death warns them.

“We need you to kill God” Dean tells him.

“Pardon?”

“Kill God. You heard right” Sara snaps a little, Death looks to her. “Your... Honor” she adds, Dean shoots her a look.

“Smooth” he mumbles, she shoots him a look back.

“What makes you think I can do that?” Death asks.

“You told me” Dean answers.

“Why should I?” Death asks.

“Because... We said so, and we're the boss of you” Death raises an eyebrow at Dean's answers. “I mean... Respectfully” Sara shoots Dean a look this time, Dean glances to her. “Don't say it” he warns her.

“Amazing” Castiel states across the room, everyone turns to him. His face is breaking out in blisters.

“Cas” Sam greets a little.

“I didn't want to kill you, but now...” Castiel tells them.

“You can't kill us” Dean points out shifting a little to put himself between Castiel and Sara.

“You've erased any nostalgia I had for you, Dean”

“Death is our bitch. We ain't gonna die, even if God pulls the trigger” Dean counters.

“Annoying little protozoa, aren't they?” Death asks. “"God"? You look awfully like a mutated angel to me. Your vessel's melting. You're going to explode”

“No, I'm not. When I've finished my work, I'll repair myself”

“You think you can because you think you're simply under the weight of all those souls, yes?” Death asks. “But that's not the worst problem. There are things much older than souls in Purgatory, and you gulped those in, too”

“Irrelevant. I control them”

“For the moment”

“Wait, what older things?” Sara asks.

“Long before God created Angel and man, he made the first beasts -- the Leviathans” Death answers.

“Leviathans?” Sara asks.

“I personally found them entertaining, but he was concerned they'd chomp the entire petri dish, so he locked them away. Why do you think he created Purgatory? To keep those clever, poisonous things out. Now Castiel has swallowed them. He's the one thin membrane between the old ones and your home”

“Enough” Castiel orders.

“Stupid little soldier you are” Death scolds.

“Why? Because I dared open a door that he shut? Where is he? I did a service, taking his place”

“Service? Settling petty vendettas?” Death asks.

“No. I'm cleaning up one mess after another – selflessly”

“Quite the humanitarian”

“And how would you know? What are you, really? A flyswatter?”

“Destined to swat you, I think” Death tells Castiel.

“Unless I take you first”

“Really bought his own press, this one. Please, Cas. I know God, and you, sir, are no God” Death mocks.

“All right, put your junk away, both of you” Dean teases. “Look, call him what you want. Just kill him now!” Dean orders.

“All right. Fine” Castiel snaps his fingers and releases Death, Sara, Sam and Dean look concerned. “Thank you. Shall we kickbox now?” Death asks Castiel, who only stares back. “I had a tingle I'd be reaping someone very, very soon” Dean starts to back away closer to Sara. “Don't worry -- not you” Death assures them and then starts to eat the pickle chips. Castiel vanishes. “Well, he was in a hurry”

“Um...” Dean mumbles a little.

“Shut up, Dean. I'm not here to tie your shoes every time you trip. I warned you about those souls how long ago? Long enough to stop that fool. And here we are again, with your little planet on the edge of immolation” Death tells them, Sara crosses her arms over her chest.

“Well, I'm sorry. All right? I've been trying to save this planet, so maybe you should find somebody better to tip off” Dean counters.

“Maybe I should spend my effort on a better planet. Well, it's been amusing” Death turns to leave.

“Wait, h-hold on, hold on” Steve starts, Bucky tries to pull him back.

“Steve” Sara warns shaking her head. Steve takes a breath.

“Just -- can you give them something? You -- you have to care a little bit about what happens to us” Steve tells Death.

“You know, I really don't. But I do find that little angel arrogant” Death responds.

“Great. Let's go with that” Tony points out.

“Your only hope is to have him return it all to Purgatory. Quickly” Death tells them.

“We need a door” Sam states.

“You have everything you need at that lab. Get him to return there and compel him to give up the power”

“Compel?” Dean asks.

“Figure it out” Dean answers.

“But that door only opens in the eclipse, and that's over” Sam points out.

“I'll make another. 3:59 Sunday morning, just before dawn. Be punctual. Don't thank me. Clean up your mess” he starts to leave again, then pauses. “Try to bind me again, you'll die before you start” he heads through the door. “Nice pickle chips, by the way” he offers over his shoulder leaving the room in stunned silence.

 


	12. Chapter Eleven

Tony approaches Sam and Dean who talk quietly together. Dean looks to Tony as he reaches them.

“Alright, you have what you came for...now leave” Tony tells them. “Before I have Thor throw you out”

“Look” Dean starts. “I know you don't think it, and probably are not about to believe me, but I do love her”

“You have a funny way of showing it” Tony scoffs.

“Yeah, perhaps I do, but I do....love her” Dean counters. “Okay, she...is” Dean looks down a little. “She got hurt because of me and I can't forgive myself for that....the least I could do is protect her from getting hurt again”

“You have no idea” Tony grumbles shaking his head. “Just....get out of my tower” he warns and walks away. Sam looks to Dean.

“Not a word” Dean grumbles and pulls on his jacket. “Let's just go”

….............

“Wait” Sara grabs Dean's arms he passes her, they share a look.

“I'll wait in the lobby” Sam tells them and then leaves, Sara lets go of Dean.

“About what you said to Tony” Sara starts twisting the ring on her finger.

“Everything I said to you, everything I...I said was meant to drive you away” he admits. “I did it to protect you not because I didn't love you any more”

“You have no idea” she counters. “How little I need you to protect me”

“Clearly” he scoffs, “You were in the hospital...I thought....I thought you were going to die” Sara sighs.

“By the time we got to the hospital, I was pretty much healed” she admits.

“What?” he asks, Sara rolls up her sleeve showing her arm where she'd cut herself for the spell, it's gone. Dean grabs her arm and turns it over. “How long have you....”

“Since the day I was born” she answers. “There are a lot of things I didn't tell you, things I kept from you” she admits. “Things I am scared of. I just wanted to be normal for the first time in my life....so I kept them from you. But I don't need protecting. I don't need a white knight....I need someone who trusts me, who believes in me, who....respects me” Dean looks down. “We've been fighting side by side for four years and you thought so little of me, of what I am capable of, that you decided for me what I needed. You don't know that first thing about what I need. I need someone who sees what I am capable of. I need someone who sees how strong I am, and that's not you. Not any more” she turns to leave.

“Sara” Dean grabs her wrist and pulls her back to him. “It's not because I didn't.....”

“Don't” she warns. “Don't lie. You looked at me and thought that I was weak. Too weak to....” she shakes her head. “Just go” she pulls her hand free of his. “Just....go” she repeats. “There's nothing here for you any more” They both just stare at one another for seconds, though to both it feels more like minutes, before Dean nods and swallows the lump forming in his throat, he knew she'd be mad, but he thought it would be further down the road, and....he was an idiot to think she'd just forgive him. Dean glances to her as he walks away, Sara takes a breath to control her emotions. He steps into the elevator and she waits for the doors to close before she hangs her head and lets a tear loose. Bucky leans against the wall listening. He'd heard it all. He hears the elevator leave and then steps out from the wall.

“Sara?” Bucky asks approaching her, her shoulders shaking, crying. She turns and presses her head to his chest when he stops behind her, Bucky's eyes widen. “Oh” he breaths before he wraps his human arm around her. “It's alright” he whispers a little, reluctantly raising his metal arm around her. “It's okay” he rests his head against hers, soothing her, his flesh fingers stroking her back.

…................

Tony looks to Sara as she takes a deep breath to steel herself, she wants to tell the Avengers what she is, as much as she hates being looked at as 'his' clone, she likes being her own woman, instead of people having expectations about who she is and what she is and what she can or cannot do.

“Are you sure about this, Blondie?” Tony asks, she nods and looks to him.

“Truth” she answers. “If I am to be staying here, the people I live with should know who I am”

“You're staying?” Tony asks, she looks to him sadly.

“I have no where else to go, Tony....” he cups her cheek and smiles at her.

“I told you” he whispers. “This is your home”

“We should tell Steve first” she tells him. “This affects him more then the others” Tony nods agreeing.

“Yeah” he tells her. “You want to do this here or...in the lab, or your bedroom”

“Here is fine” She offers. “He needs to be able to leave if....”

“He takes it badly” Tony finishes, she nods and takes a breath. “Alright, Friday” he states. “Tell Steve to come on up will you”

“Already done, Sir” Friday counters. Tony turns to Sara and places his hands on her shoulders, she smiles a little.

“It's going to be okay, this is your home, if he can't accept this....he can leave, he and the Terminator can move to the Facility”

“Hey, Friday said you were asking for me” Steve greets walking into the room.

“Yeah, we need to talk” Tony starts. “Sit” he points to the couch, Steve raises an eyebrow and then sits. Tony looks to Sara who nods. “Okay, so here's the thing” Tony starts as Sara crosses her arms over her chest, hiding her nerves. “What do you know about cloning?” Tony asks.

“Dolly the sheep” Steve answers. “I've been catching up....she was the first successful clone, right?” Tony looks to Sara and then back to Steve.

“No” Steve frowns. “46 years before Dolly....” Tony starts to explain. “There was a group of scientists working on cloning....well on cloning you” Steve narrows his eyes a littler.

“What are you talking about?” Steve asks.

“Howard...and a group of scientists from all sorts of different fields worked together on Project G.E.C” Tony explains. “With the hopes of creating a biological and genetic identical Steve Rogers”

“Why are you telling me this?” Steve asks. “Wait, are you telling me there is another me out there? Did it work?”

“They made 100 yous” Tony admits. “Over the course of ten years”

“100?” Steve asks.

“Not all of them survived” Tony answers. “In fact....in the end only 1 did”

“1” Steve whispers, trying to work through it all in his head.

“Complications at birth, physical disabilities, mental disabilities, some just....didn't live. It was...” Tony looks to Sara. “To SHIELD, a huge failure and they ordered it shut down in 1960”

“Shield had all the living clones destroyed” Sara adds, Steve looks to her. “All data destroyed, any evidence destroyed, including the scientists. Howard was the only one that was worth more to Shield alive, because...”

“He founded it” Steve finishes.

“Howard rescued one of the clones” Tony tells Steve. “An...anomaly”

“Anomaly?” Steve asks.

“99 clones were born male” Tony states. “1, that 1 to survive....was a female. In the end though she is a clone, she is not completely genetically identical, no one could work out why, not the scientists, not Howard though he had his theories”

“Is” Steve mumbles. “She's still alive?” he asks, Tony nods.

“Yeah” he looks to Steve and nods. “Howard....he...” Tony takes a breath. “He named her Sara” Steve looks to Sara who offers a wary smile.

“You?” Steve asks, she nods, he stands and steps forward, Tony places himself in front of the super soldier.

“Hey, easy....” Steve looks to Tony.

“You really think I am going to hurt her?” Steve asks. Tony stares back.

“She's my sister” Tony reminds him. “I made a promise to protect her. Even from her source”

“I'm not going to hurt her” Steve promises. “I just want a closer look” Sara touches Tony's arm and he looks to her.

“It's okay” she tells him, Tony steps back a bit. Steve glances to him as he moves closer to Sara.

“Guess this explains why we seem to like the same things” Steve offers reaching Sara, she nods.

“Yeah” she agrees.

“Tell me something” Steve asks of her. “Anything....”

“Howard named me after your mother” She tells Steve. “I know that's probably weird...”

“No” Steve assures her. “It's fine, really it's okay....urm...birth name?” he asks as Tony slips out of the room, leaving them both to it.

“C-B-03-I-15” she answers, Steve looks to her sadly. “Yep” she whispers. “Let's see....” she starts. “I was born in 1955, 15 years before Tony, and actually before Howard and Maria even met”

“Really?” Steve asks. “How'd she take to you?”

“Good” Sara answers. “I was about 9 when they met and she treated me like a daughter. Which made everything easier. What else.....Oh, I first saw a tree when I was 5, I didn't see a dog until I was 7, I didn't meet another child until Tony was born and by then I was 15”

“You didn't meet any of the other clones?” Steve asks.

“No” Sara answers. “We weren't allowed to interact, so.....”

“I'm so sorry” Steve tells her, she cocks her head and raises an eyebrow.

“What?” she asks. “Why?”

“If it wasn't for me....”

“If it wasn't for you, Steve, I would never have been born” Sara assures him. “Without you I wouldn't be stood here. So don't say sorry....” he smiles and nods.

“Okay” he raises his hand to her shoulder. “Can I?” he asks. She nods. He places his hand on her shoulder and smiles.

“I thought this would be weirder for you” she admits.

“It's not like you choose to be my double” Steve offers. “You didn't choose to be born.....I just it's going to take some time to get used to. The idea that you were made to be me”

“Yeah” Sara agrees.

“Does anyone else know?” he asks motioning to the sofa, Sara nods and they both sit side by side.

“Just you and Tony....and Friday probably. It was agreed a long time ago that it would be best that my true nature be kept in the family. Even Tony didn't know until he was 27” she sighs and closes her eyes leaning back. “You have no idea how good this actually feels to get it off of my chest, to finally tell someone, to tell you” she looks to him. “It was really weird meeting you” he smiles and looks at her. “After all these years to finally meet you....I'd seen poster and photos and read news articles...but to actually see you stood in front of me” he holds out his hand to her and she raises an eyebrow.

“Give me your hand” he tells her, she sets her hand in his and he threads his fingers with hers, behind them Bucky stalks into the room and then pauses spotting them. “Do you want anyone to know?” Steve asks Sara, Bucky frowns and backs up out of the room but remains within ear shot.

“I have nothing against them knowing, it's up to you, they're your friends.....”

“They should know” Steve tells her. “We could tell them together”

“No, I think it will be best coming from you” Sara answers.

“Bucky's gonna hate this” Steve tells her, Bucky looks down, clenching his human fingers before walking away.

 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Steve stands in the debriefing room with the Avengers, except for Tony and Bucky, he takes a breath and looks to his watch.

“Who are we waiting for?” Wanda asks, Steve sighs.

“Bucky, but I can tell him later” Steve then paces a little, hands clasped behind his back. “Okay....” He then starts telling them about the whole cloning thing, and Sara. Everyone but Thor looks surprised, shocked, he looks confused.

…...........

Bucky sits on the floor near the labs clenching and unfurling his metal fingers on his knee. Steve knew that Bucky likes Sara, that he wanted to get to know her better, that he's working out whether she is another obsession or whether this is something more, Bucky believes it is something more. And Steve....Steve did...that. Bucky growls. Bucky hangs his head and clenches his fist.

“Hey” Sara states approaching him. He should have gone somewhere private, somewhere hidden but he just couldn't move past this point. “Steve's looking for you” Sara tells him, Bucky is staring at her from under his hair. “He has something to tell all of you” Bucky is still just....staring. “Bucky?” she asks. “Is everything okay?” she asks, and then he is pretty much launching himself at her. The fingers of his metal arm wrapping around her neck. Sara gasps clawing at the metal arm. “Bucky” she begs trying to push his hand off of her. “Bucky...stop” he lifts her up, her feet trying to get purchase on the floor. “Please” she whispers trying to grab at his fingers trying to pry them off of her. She lifts a leg and presses her knee into his chest trying to push him off of her, but she doesn't want to hurt him, he slams her back against the wall and she cries out a little, pushes her leg up higher and wraps it around his metal arm while pulling his fingers, one by one from her throat, she sucks in air when she can before his flesh hand grabs her leg and pulls it from him, his metal fingers tightening again. “Bucky!!” she snaps, black spots appearing in the corners of her eyes, as she becomes light headed and dizzy.

“Buck!” Steve snaps pulling Bucky off of Sara who falls to her knees gasping for air, Steve throws Bucky down the corridor and away from her and stands in front of her protectively, Bucky looks down at Sara who coughs and looks up at him, his eyes slowly softening, realisation washing over him.

“I'm sorry” Bucky tells her. “I'm so sorry” he turns and hurries away. Steve turns to Sara and helps her to her feet.

“Go” she pushes Steve. “Make sure he's okay”

“I've got her” Tony states with a glare moving to his sister. “We'll talk about this later” he adds to Steve who nods and runs off after Bucky, Tony lifts Sara's chin and touches her neck.

….................

Bucky paces his bedroom, his mind and arm whirling away. He had his fingers around her neck, he was actually squeezing the life out of her and he wasn't going to stop. Sara. He closes his eyes. Steve enters the room and closes the door behind him.

“Bucky” Steve starts. “What happened?” Bucky's arm whirls and he turns to Steve.

“I heard you....the two of you talking, you were holding hands and talking about telling the team.....you know that I...” Bucky turns away. “I like her”

“I know” Steve assures him.

“But you....you and...her” Bucky adds, Steve frowns at him.

“You think me and.....Sara?” Steve asks.

“What other explanation is there?!” Bucky snaps. “How could you do this to me?”

“She's my clone” Steve corrects Bucky who looks up at him.

“A clone?” Bucky asks. Steve crosses his arms over his chest.

“She was created to be me” Steve explains. “To be an exact copy of me.....It makes her....” Steve sighs and shakes his head. “It means she's pretty much my sister” Bucky looks away and frowns before his eyes widen.

“Oh my God” Bucky whispers. “I hurt her” Bucky looks back to Steve. “I didn't mean to.....I was so angry at you and then...” Bucky hangs his head. “She'll never forgive me for this....and Stark....You should never have brought me here, all I do is screw up....you should have left me in Wakanda..”

“She'll forgive you” Steve corrects, Bucky shakes his head. “She will, do you know why?” Steve asks, Bucky glances to him. “Because I would....” Bucky turns to his bed and shakes his head.

“No....even this is too much....I put my hands on her” Bucky looks to his hands.

“Buck” Steve whispers.

“Just...leave me alone, please” Bucky looks to his friend utterly heartbroken. Steve nods a little.

“If you anything...” Steve offers, Bucky nods and looks away from Steve. Steve leaves shutting the door behind him, Bucky drops onto the edge of the bed and sets his face in his hands.

…...........

Sara knocks on Bucky's bedroom door and shuffles her feet a little waiting for him to answer, she knows it was an accident, she knows that he doesn't control that side of him, that he has a bloodlust like she does. Bucky opens the door and looks to her sadly.

“Sara” he whispers. “I'm so sorry”

“I forgive you” she tells him. “It's okay”

“No, no it's not” he argues. “I could have killed you”

“But you didn't” she tells him. “I'm okay” Bucky reaches for her and lifts her face to look at her neck. “See....no mark” he touches her neck and frowns. She reaches up and takes his hand. “I'm okay” she repeats.

“I'm sorry” he tells her.

“I know” she assures him. “What Hydra did to you....it's bound to change you in ways that other people can't understand, and you're still recovering, still healing......” Bucky smirks a little, though his eyes don't quite reflect it.

“I see it now” he tells her.

“See what?” she asks.

“Steve” he answers. “I see the similarities between the two of you” She drops her smile.

“Oh” she whispers.

“No, it's....it's not a bad thing....” Bucky assures her. “Steve is the greatest person I know....and you're just like him...” she looks to him. “A few difference, sure, but....even that smile” he teases lightly. Sara looks away. “Yours is much prettier” he admits, she snorts.

“This is why I don't tell people” she whispers. “Once they know....he's all they see in me” she looks to Bucky and shakes her head. “They stop seeing Sara”

“So why have you told everyone?” he asks.

“Because I hate lying” she answers. “And it's been eating away at me for years...between lying to Sam and Dean and then knowing Steve was back and he didn't know that someone took his blood, his DNA and made me” she shakes her head. “Anyway....I'll leave you alone now” she whispers and back away.

“I have trouble sleeping” Bucky admits. Sara looks to him. “I know this cloning thing about you now you know something about me...” she cocks her head and then nods.

“Thank you” she then starts to walk away. Bucky heads back into his room and closes the door and his eyes. He frowns as someone knocks on the door again, he turns and opens it, Sara steps into the room and moves to his bed, Bucky frowns at her.

“Sara?” He asks, she sits on the bed and smiles. She pats the bed beside her, Bucky stares at her before he does move to the bed and climbs in next to her.

“Trust me?” she asks, he nods and she pats her lap, Bucky raises an eyebrow at her. “Just...come on” he sighs and rests his head in her lap. “I used to have trouble sleeping when I first left the labs, actually it was more....I was finally sleeping in a real bed and not a medical one but....point stands” she admits as she threads her fingers through his hair. “Howard would sit with me like this and just stroke my hair” she strokes his hair, Bucky closes his eyes. “Till I fell asleep.....”

“That's nice” he mumbles, Sara smiles down at him. “Keep doing that” she chuckles a little and scratches his scalp lightly. “Stark's going to throw me out” he whispers.

“No, he won't” she promises him. “Tony's just protective, I'll talk him down”

“Why would you do that?” he asks genuinely confused and surprised.

“Why not?” she asks back. “Everything you've been through, everything Steve's been through, all of us have been through, we need to stick together.....” he smiles and nods.

“Together” he whispers as she draws his hair through her fingers.

 


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Bucky watches Sara sleep, hair fanned out all over the pillow and her face. He smiles a little and brushes her hair back, her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration, even in her sleep, like her mind is constantly working. He supposes that's why he has trouble sleeping too, thinking too much, all the time, his mind constantly working, rolling, flickering through everything, it's why most nights he can't sleep, he gets flashes of the things he's done, things that haunt him. He sighs softly and strokes her cheek. A female Steve. That's pretty hard to believe, he knows science has come on wonders in the last 50 years but still...he brushes her hair back and looks over her neck, there really is no mark, no bruises, no evidence that he had tried to kill her. His expression turns regretful and sad. He can't believe he put his hands on her like that. He sighs and slips out of the bed before he leaves the room, letting Sara sleep.

…............

Bucky frowns at Steve who stands across the kitchen counter to him.

“So science made her?” Bucky asks Steve who nods. “To be exactly like you?” Steve nods again. “But it went wrong?”

“Yes” Steve answers. “They wanted an exact copy....as in a male. So...she's 99% me” Steve sighs. “Does it bother you?”

“That I am attracted to a female version of my best friend....a little bit” Bucky admits. “But right now I am more bothered at the fact I almost killed her” he sighs.

“She forgave you” Steve reminds him.

“I know, but I can't....” Bucky points out. “She's been nicer to me then....anyone else here, except you, and I...hurt her”

“Yeah, you did” Tony snaps from the doorway.

“Tony” Steve starts.

“Forget it” Tony snaps. “Sara already talked to me, unfortunately my sister knows just how to wrap me around her little finger”

“Meaning?” Steve asks.

“You can stay” Tony grumbles looking to Bucky. “But you have to go to counselling with Wilson everyday for six months, or until he thinks you're better”

“I'm not going to get better” Bucky grumbles under his breath.

“And, she fought me on this, but...” Tony sighs. “You are to stay away from Sara” Bucky looks to Tony. “And I mean it, you've taken enough from my family already.....”

“We live in the same tower” Bucky argues.

“Yeah, and you can leave the room when she walks in, avoid her, just stay the hell away from her....” Bucky looks to Steve as Tony walks away.

“It's better then the alternative” Steve offers, Bucky sighs and nods.

“Yeah, I guess” he grumbles.

“I know you like Sara” Steve starts and then sighs. “But maybe this space will help you think about what it is you actually want.....what you need” Bucky nods and looks down.

“Yeah” Bucky agrees.

…...................

Sara spins the batons in her hand as Tony holds up his own, he's not a very physical man without the suit, but he does like to get some training in, just right now he wishes it wasn't with his super soldier sister who is annoyed and angry at him. She spins and launches an attack, Tony ducks and rolls out of the way.

“You shouldn't shut him out like this” she scolds spinning and ducking under his baton. “He needs people around him”

“He tried to kill you” Tony reminds her, blocking her counter attack.

“It was an accident” she counters pushing him back. “Why does this bother you so much?” he grunts as she catches his arm with her baton, and he knows not all of her strength is going into this.

“Because I hate the thought of him around you” Tony admits. “Given what he did to this family, what he took from us....”

“That wasn't his fault” She argues. “Having someone else in charge of your mind does not make the things you do your fault” she crouches, spins out her leg and sweeps out his, Tony lands with a grunt on his back, Sara stands up straight. Tony pushes himself back up to his feet and sighs.

“Being possessed and being brain washed is not the same thing” he tells her.

“No, it's not, being possessed you can fight back against the control” she counters. “You are there watching everything that happens, trying so hard to fight, to win back control over your own mind and your own body....but mind control” she sighs. “It takes an ice pick to everything you are and hacks it out of you.....he had no control over any part of his life, of his personality, of his actions...” she shakes her head.

“I'm just worried about you” he admits. “The last few years have been hard on you, I can see it in your eyes. You'd call and you sound so....” he lowers the batons and steps closer to her. “Every time you'd call with some big end of the world story, you'd just sound....” he shakes his head. “We're family, Blondie...I'm just looking out for you”

“Tony” she states softly. “I am 60 years old” he nods. “Stop treating me like a child....” she lowers her batons. “I can be friends with whoever I want, I can sleep whoever I want....you don't get to decide and I have indulged this long enough” she turns and walks away. Tony groans and shakes his head. One thing after another.

…..............

Sara gets Tony to allow Bucky to sit with them at dinner, as long as Bucky sits as far away from her as he can be. Though at least this way he can still look at her. And Steve is currently staring at Sara who sets a huge bowl of pasta on the table, she looks to Steve.

“What is it?” she asks him, Steve shakes his head.

“You look like his mother” Bucky answers, Sara raises an eyebrow. “With the hair and the apron....” Sara looks to the apron around her waist and then to Steve.

“Oh, sorry” Sara offers and then pulls of the apron. Steve smiles a little.

“It's alright, Sara” he tells her. “Actually you do look very much like her, I didn't really notice before. I assume it would have been what her daughter would have looked like, if she got to have one. If I ever had a sister” Steve smiles. “You would be what my sister would have looked like”

“No” Tony snaps, Steve looks to him. “She's my sister”

“Right, I know that” Steve assures Tony. “I wasn't suggesting otherwise”

“Tony” Sara warns sitting at his side, wraps her fingers around his arm. “Stop....” she scolds. “Let's just have a nice, normal, argument free dinner” she offers. Tony looks away and nods. Sara rolls her eyes and nudges him.

“Fine” he answers, just as her cell phone starts ringing. Sara pulls it from her jeans pocket and presses her cell phone to her ear as she answers it.

“Hello?” Sara asks turning away from the table. “Urm yeah, this is Sara Lance” she frowns and then sighs. “Yeah, they are........I'll be right there” she hangs up and stands, Tony frowns at her, Bucky glances up from his end of the table.

“Where are you going?” Tony asks, Sara turns to him.

“What did we talk about?” she asks back, Tony grumbles and sulks in his seat.

“You're 60 years old and I shouldn’t treat you like a child” he repeats. Natasha smirks amused as Wanda chuckles into her hand.

“I'm going to Sioux Falls General Hospital” Sara tells Tony. “Sam and Dean....”

“Of course” Tony grumbles.

“It's bad, Tony” Sara whispers to him.

“How bad?” he asks back turning to her.

“They're both in the hospital. At the same time. Last time that happened.....” she sighs. “It was after a car crash years ago...and their dad ended up dying, I have to go, I have to make sure...Sam's my friend” Tony nods.

“Yeah, of course, go” he takes her hand. “But hey, come on, some of the stories you've told me” he offers her a smile. “They'll be fine” she squeezes his shoulder. “Be careful, Barbie”

“Always am” she counters and then heads towards her bedroom.

…................

Dean wakes with a groan in a hospital bed, his leg covered in a cast. He turns his head to the side and smiles. Sara leans against the wall, arms folded over her chest. And he forgets that he broke her heart, blame the injury or the morphine but he does forget that this beautifully stunning woman is not his any more.

“Hey, Babe” he whispers, Sara pushes herself up off the wall and moves closer, she takes his hand as she sits beside him, he clutches to her hand. “I've lost count of the number of times I've woken up in a hospital with you at my side” he tells her warmly, she closes her eyes and stands moving away from him, because she knows just how easy that would be for her. She crosses her arms over her chest. “Babe?” he asks and pulls a drip out of his arm before he tries to get up, but falls to the floor with a yell. His right leg is in a cast. Sara sighs and turns to him as Bobby enters the room.

“Ready to go?” Bobby asks Sara as she helps Dean up from the floor. Dean stares at Bobby.

“Bobby, you're alive” he states, Bobby frowns.

“'Course I am. Why are you on the floor?” Bobby asks.

“They gave me morphine. A lot” Dean answers smiling away, he wraps an arm around Sara. “Hey, look, a monster broke my leg. Oh. Wait... the house. We thought you were dead”

“Well, I ain't. Not yet. But we got to run. This place ain't safe” Bobby tells Dean then looks to Sara. “Where's Sam?”

“MRI” she answers.

“Meet me at the ambulance dock. I'll find Sam” Bobby tells her, she nods.

“Wait, where? Bobby, I'm a gimp” Dean points out, Bobby shoots Sara a look.

“Good luck” he tells her and then leaves. Dean turns to Sara and smiles stroking her side.

“Come on” she helps him along as they leave the room.

…................

Bobby approaches an orderly who is moving an unconscious Sam on a stretcher, and holds up some ID.

“Hold the phone there, son. Who's this?” Bobby asks and takes the chart on Sam’s stretcher. “Yeah, this is the guy. Coverage lapsed. We're shipping him to County” Bobby starts to wheel Sam away. “Come on, sicko. Let's get you healed up some place a little safer”

…................

Dr. Gaines and the Nurse stride purposefully down the hallway as Dean and Sara make their exit.

….................

Bobby pushes Sam on the stretcher.

….................

Dr. Gaines sees Dean’s empty room.

….................

Bobby and Sam leave the hospital via the ambulance entrance and Bobby puts Sam’s stretcher in an ambulance.

“Come on, kids” Through the ambulance side mirror, Bobby sees Dr. Gaines and the Nurse come out of the ambulance entrance door. “Balls. Come on, Dean. Come on” Sara opens the passenger door and helps Dean in before climbing in after him.

“Go” she tells Bobby. Bobby accelerates away. Dr. Gaines and the Nurse run after the ambulance for a short distance. Dr. Gaines takes out his phone.

…............

Sara helps Dean out of the ambulance as Bobby helps Sam out of the back.

“Nice car” Bobby teases as they approach one of Tony's town cars, Sara opens the back passenger door and helps Dean in to the car.

“I thought it better then my bike” she teases shutting the door and climbing into the driver's seat, Bobby climbing into the other side. Sara touches the screen on the dash and the car starts, she looks to Bobby who shakes his head and looks back at the brothers, looking worse for ware.

….............

“What is this place?” Bobby asks as Sara helps Dean onto the sofa, he looks up at her, the morphine wearing off, reality settling back in.

“Sara” he whispers as she lets him go and turns to Bobby.

“Howard used to bring me up here a kid before....” She stops and shakes her head, moving to help Bobby with Sam, helps carry him into the next room where there is a bed. Sara sets Sam in gently and covers him with a blanket, strokes his hair before heading into the next room pulling out her cell phone. “There's a store down the street....I'll make a run for supplies and then...leave you three to it”

“You're not going to ask what happened?” Dean asks her, she looks to him.

“Would you tell me?” she asks back, he looks down, she sighs. “Well I didn't want to waste my breath”

“How are things with your brother?” Bobby asks, Sara looks to him.

“Fine” she answers. “I mean....not really but...”

“Family huh?” Bobby smirks at her, she scoffs.

“Tony's fine, on his own, but the others....” she sighs. “I'm living with a guy that likes to leave his hammer just lying around, the two former federal agents that stare all the time, and there's Wanda who sets off the fire alarm every time she tries to cook. Wilson who is far too nice all the time, even for me, Vision who comes into the room regardless of the clothing situation on the other side” Dean raises an eyebrow. “And Peter who is barely out of his pimples....not to mention basically my double slash twin but in male form, and the metal armed former brainwashed KGB assassin who killed my parents...” Sara looks to Bobby. “How do you think it's going?”

“Wow” Bobby breaths. “That bad?”

“There's a reason I....” she shakes her head. “It doesn't matter, I should go” she adjusts her jacket. “And get those supplies” Bobby looks around a little.

“Are you sure you're sure we're okay to be here?” Bobby asks her.

“It's the only thing Howard left me when he died....when he was killed” she answers. “And it's been gathering dust since 69” She tells Bobby. “Someone should use it” Dean frowns a little watching Sara as she starts to leave.

“If this place hasn't been used since 1969...how could you have been here as a kid?” Bobby asks, Sara looks over her shoulder at him.

“Because I was born in 1955” she admits and then smiles. “I won't be long” she leaves, Bobby and Dean share a look.

“She was joking” Dean points out.

“I don't think she was” Bobby mumbles heading to look in the kitchen.

 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

When Sara returns Dean is sleeping on the couch, Sam is still resting and Bobby sits in the dining room, Sara moves to the kitchen and set the bag of groceries on the side.

“You weren't joking, were you?” Bobby asks looking to her, she glances to him. “You really were born in 1955?” she raises an eyebrow.

“Who said I was joking?” she asks back setting a few things from the bag away. “Yes, I really was born in 1955” she admits turning to him and crossing her arms over her chest. “The circumstances surrounding my birth and my early years is......complicated and not one I readily talk about”

“Try me” Bobby offers softly. “You should talk to someone, Ki...” he pauses and Sara smirks. “I can't really call you that any more” he mumbles.

“No” she agrees.

“You're only 5 years younger then me” he adds and smirks a little. “You look better for it”

“Good genetics” she counters a little. Bobby nods and gives her a look, she sighs. “I was born in a science lab” she admits. “After Howard Stark took DNA from Steve Rogers....Captain America and put it into an embryo and then implanted that into some woman”

“You're a clone” Bobby realises. “You're a clone of Captain America”

“You're a what?” Dean asks sitting up, Sara sighs and rolls her eyes a little.

“A clone” she answers. “You are smart enough to understand what that is, right?” she asks back. Dean shoots her a look.

“Okay” Dean starts. “You're angry....” he mumbles. “You lied and now you're angry” he tells her. “You're angry”

“See this is why I never said anything” she counters. “You just...flip out over nothing”

“Nothing? This is not nothing” he argues. “This is...you're.....how could you keep this from me? From us?”

“Because....” she sighs. “Because from the moment I was born I was treated like a lab rat, an experiment. And then there was you” she offers softly. “And Sam....” she quickly adds. “You both” she sighs. “For the first time in 56 years I was treated like a human being and not a science experiment” she looks to Dean. “You have no idea how that felt” she tells him. “So I kept talking myself out of telling you, then you went to hell....and then there was Lilith and then Lucifer....and then.....” she looks to Dean.

“We spent a year living together” he adds. “You could have told me then” he offers.

“No, I couldn't” she corrects. “You were so....you missed Sam so much” she shakes her head. “After everything how could I admit this.....there was never the right time to talk about it. It was not a malicious lie” she tells him. “I just....I liked being normal” she tugs on her sleeves a little. “You have no idea what it is like to live with such expectations on your shoulders”

“You know I do” Dean counters, she shakes her head.

“No....you don't....to be expected to grow into the world's greatest soldier, to become a living legend. I was supposed to be....a hero” she looks down and shakes her head. Dean looks to her sadly realising how knocked her confidence is. How it's probably his fault. How it is definitely his fault. She just suddenly seems so small and tired.

“Sara” Bobby starts standing to move to her, she holds out her hand to stop him.

“It's fine” she whispers and takes a breath. “I should get back to New York” she pats her pockets and pulls out the car keys. “I hope you feel better” she tells Dean who nods a little, trying not to upset her more by opening his mouth. “And I hope you figure out these....” she looks to Bobby.

“Leviathans” he offers, she nods.

“Leviathans” she repeats. “I hope you...figure it out” she tells them both before leaving. Bobby turns to look at Dean who sighs.

“Don't say it” Dean warns turning forward. “Don't you think it bothers me seeing her like that and knowing it is my fault” he grumbles rubbing his hands over his face.

“Why is it so bad to let you have something good?” Bobby asks. “Cause that girl is the best thing that ever happened to you”

“I know” Dean agrees. “Believe me....I know”

…..................

It's dark when Sara returns to the tower, dark, quiet and empty and it's a little eerie. She sighs stepping out of the elevator and heads through towards the living quarters before pausing at another door, she closes her eyes and sighs before turning to it. She doesn't knock just walks in and moves to the bed, where Bucky sleeps, he shifts a little in his sleep, his hand slipping under his pillow before he is turning awake, he sits up and holds out the knife before he sees her.

“Sara?” he asks lowering the knife.

“I urm....I'm sorry” she whispers and starts backing up.

“Hey, wait” he climbs out of the bed to follow her, grabs her wrist with his flesh hand.

“I don't want to get you into trouble” she admits.

“I don't care about that” he argues. “Not if you're upset. Are your friends alright?” he asks, she nods.

“They're fine” she answers. “I just....I miss it” she admits.

“You miss him” Bucky corrects, she snorts a little and nods, she looks down.

“Yes” she whispers softly. “I've been in relationships before” she admits. “But...”

“None like him” he offers, she nods and takes a shaky breath.

“I keep thinking everything's going to be okay but then...I see him and I just” she shakes her head and looks up at Bucky. “Can I stay in here?” she asks. “I just...” he nods understanding a little.

“Sure...” he answers, he really should be telling her to go to her own bed, but when she's looking at him like that it's pretty hard for him to say no.

“Can I borrow a shirt?” she asks, he nods and moves to his dresser as she pulls off her jacket, folds it up and sets it on the side. Bucky pulls out one of his shirts, actually one of his favourites. He turns to her as she pulls her hair up, and he can see how tired she is, not just physically but emotionally as well. He suspects that's how tired he looks all the time.

“Here” he offers holding out the shirt, she takes it from him and offers back a small smile. Bucky turns away when she starts to push her jeans over her legs, he should have thought this through better. He knows that she is probably half naked now, stood behind him, clothes off, skin on show. Bucky takes a breath and closes his eyes clenching his metal fingers together to stop himself from touching turning around and touching her. Once upon a time he would have had more confidence in this situation.

“You can turn around” she whispers and he does, he turns around and she smiles sheepishly at him, the shirt fits her like a baggy mini dress, stopping mid thigh, and he knows if she raises her arms he'd get a flash of underneath. He tenses his jaw and then climbs back into bed, she follows, the two of them too comfortable at this. She turns and looks at him, a look passing between them before he holds out his arm, she wraps her arms around him and sets her head on his chest, Bucky closes his eyes and wraps his own arms around her. “Thank you” she tells him warmly, he smiles and strokes her back.

…..............

Sara wakes alone in Bucky's bed, she touches his side which is still warm, which means he's not long left it. She lifts her head to look at the clock and raises an eyebrow. 8am. It's the longest she's slept in years, and the most uninterrupted sleep she's had in years. She frowns before sitting up. Was it because of Bucky? Or just cause she's been so tired the last few weeks that she's just....crashed? She looks to the bedside table and smiles. There's a fresh hot coffee waiting for her. Because of Bucky then. Dean never made her coffee before. She lays back down and sighs touching the bottom of Bucky's shirt. What is she doing? She sits back up and stands from the bed.

….............

Sara closes Bucky's bedroom door behind her and turns to leave, just as Steve is coming back from his jog, and his room happens to be right across from Bucky's. Steve raises an eyebrow at Sara.

“Sara” he greets, a small smirk working it's way onto his lips. He likes the girl, he likes his clone, and she could be good for Bucky. If they can all get passed the whole....clone thing.

“Steve” she greets back sweeping her hair over her shoulder. “This...” she looks to Bucky's door and then back to Steve. “It's not what it looks like”

“And what does it look like?” Steve asks crossing his arms over his chest and biting his lip.

“Me and Bucky....we're not....It's not....we're not.....fonduing” she answers, Steve actually smirks, and now gets why Bucky used to make fun of him for that.

“Do you want to?” he asks her. “Is that something you want with him?” She sighs and looks away. “Do you want to be more then friends?”

“I like him, despite what Tony keeps telling me, I think Bucky is a good man” she answers. “But I don't think either of us are....remotely ready for anything....romantic” she admits. “So it doesn't matter what I want. And that would be weird” she adds. “He's your best friend and I'm....you”

“You're Sara” Steve corrects and she looks to him, gratitude flashing across her eyes. “It doesn't matter who you were created to be, it matters who you are now, who you've grown to become......our experiences define us, Sara, and we've had different experiences”

“Thank you” she tells him warmly, he smiles and nods touching her arm.

“For what it's worth” he starts. “I actually think you and Bucky would be great together”

“I told you.....I'm not ready for....”

“But you will be” he interrupts. “One day, just....stick with him, he needs someone like you” he squeezes her arm and then disappears into his room, she takes a breath and walks away.

….................

Bucky sits across from Sam Wilson who sits in his fancy therapist's chair, he'd begged Tony for days to give him a fancy chair, that looks more like a throne, that might say more about Sam then anything else.

“I slept through the night” Bucky admits, Sam raises an eyebrow at him. “For the most part anyway” Bucky corrects.

“Why? What was different last night?” Sam asks, Bucky rubs his palms on his thighs.

“Sara” he answers, Sam raises an eyebrow. “She...slept in my bed” he admits.

“I thought one of Tony's rules were that you stay away from her” Sam points out.

“Not my fault” Bucky argues. “She came to me” Sam raises his eyebrow again. “And nothing happened.....”

“Did you want something to happen?” Sam asks, Bucky fidgets again, his knee bouncing away. “Do you want a sexual relationship with Sara Stark?” Sam asks, Bucky frowns at his lap wrapping his arms around his middle. Does he? “Let me phrase it a different way” Sam starts and leans on his knees. “Can you see yourself in a relationship with Sara?”

“I don't get normal” Bucky states. “I don't get to have a normal relationship, not after what I've done...”

“That's not what I asked” Sam scolds lightly. “I asked what you want” Bucky takes a breath and unwinds his arms and nods a little.

“I want...” Bucky clenches his jaw and then sighs. “I want her” he looks to Sam. “I want to fall asleep with her at my side, and wake up with her at my side, I want to watch her smile at me everyday, to hear her laugh....I want to be able to say that this woman is mine”

“A little possessive but we'll work on it” Sam tells him. “6 months” Sam reminds him. “We've got 6 month, how about we set weekly goals? Little things that will lead up to you asking her out to dinner”

“Like what?” Bucky asks his metal arm whirling.

“Find out her favourite colour or movie or song....just find out one thing” Sam answers. “And I'll talk to Tony, get these sessions cut down to once a week, there's nothing to be done in once a day sessions....plus we have busy lives, its unrealistic”

“You're not going to tell me it's a bad idea?” Bucky asks. “That I should stay away from like, like Tony has been”

“You've been away from Hydra for 4 years now” Sam tells him. “It's time to start moving on, to get back out there, and Sara is a nice, kind woman, you could do a hell of a lot worse. And she's older then Tony, he's the little brother that just jealous someone he doesn't like is threatening to take her away from him. He'll get over it, eventually....you just need to show that you can be good for Sara, to her...you need to show him that...”

“She means something to me” Bucky adds, Sam nods.

 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Sara plops onto the couch with a tub of her home-made ice cream as Friday turns on the tv, Sara smiles and snuggles down as Dr. Sexy M.D's opening title starts. With the travelling the last few days she's missed a few episodes so now, now she is going to catch up and nothing is going to stop her. Tony sits beside her.

“Tony” she whines as he turns off the tv.

“Wilson came to talk to me” Tony tells her.

“About what?” she asks with a sigh.

“About you and Barnes...” She frowns at him. “He seems to think that there is something going on with the two of you” Tony looks to her. “Is there?” he asks.

“I'm not allowed near him remember” she scoffs at him.

“Barbie” he scolds. She sighs.

“I like his company” she admits. “It's....Tony” she fiddles with the ring on her finger and sighs. “It's like when I first met Dean” she looks to him. “I don't expect you to understand...and you can tell me to stay away from him, or whatever, but you need to realise that I can make my own choices and my own mistakes, God knows I've let you do it over the years....” he looks down and nods. “I've never judged you or belittled you or scolded you for the choices you have made, and I have wanted to, believe me I have....but I didn't...the least you could do is given the same courtesy. I know what Bucky did, I know what he took from us, But I forgive him”

“How do you do that?” Tony mumbles, she smiles and shrugs.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” she looks to Tony. “Ephesians 4:31-32” Tony rolls his eyes.

“In the end God doesn't care” he tells her.

“Hmmm” she looks away. “Given recent years I am....” she sighs. “No” she shakes her head. “After everything...I need to believe” he touches her arm and smiles a little.

“Okay” he whispers. “I'll lift the sanctions on the Manchurian Candidate, just be careful” she nods.

“I can look after myself....I took on the devil....and the first demon and the mother of all monsters...” he smiles and nods.

“I just...You looked after me, when I was a kid and Howard wasn't around” Tony tells her. “It was always you and Jarvis...and...I just wanted to look after you back” he admits.

“I know” she tells him. “But we're both adults now, all grown up....so trust me” he nods and smiles at her. “You want to watch Dr. Sexy?” she asks, Tony snorts and shakes his head.

“God, no” he pats her knee and stands. “Have fun though” he teases walking away.

“You stole my ice cream!” She scolds as he chuckles leaving the room. Sara turns forward and shakes her head turning the tv back on again, she curls up and rests her head on the couch arm.

…............

Bucky leans in the doorway watching Sara watch tv. He'd pretty much sought her out after Tony had told him that he'd lifted the block on their friendship. Not that he was going to stop him, between him and Sara there is 150 years worth of experience and he knows it's Tony being a protective brother trying to keep his big sister away from the crazy mindless assassin that killed their parents. Bucky hangs his head and turns to leave. This was a bad idea, he is a mindless assassin that killed her parents and she really shouldn't be anywhere near him.

“Stop stalking me and come sit” Sara states without looking up, Bucky smiles a little and moves to sit next to her, lifting her legs and setting them back in his lap.

“What did I miss?” he asks, she smiles and looks to him, he smiles back at her.

…............

Sara sets a bowl of salad onto the table, it's a quieter Avenger dinner this night, Clint, Bruce and Natasha have gone to see Laura, Clint's wife, and the kids, Scott Lang is off with his kid, T'Challa has gone back to Wakanda for a few days, Thor's gone to Asgard and Rhodey is at the hospital. That leaves, Steve, Bucky, Wanda, Vision, Tony, Peter, Wilson and Sara. Which is still a big group thing. Sara frowns and looks to Wanda and Vision.

“So you two are......fonduing?” Sara asks, Bucky chokes on his drink as Steve smirks at his side and pats him on the back. “How does...” Sara cocks her head. “What are the logistics?” she asks. “Does he even have a....” she gives Wanda a look. “You know....” Wanda starts blushing as Bucky continues to cough. Peter shoves his fingers into his ears and shakes his head. Tony smirks and shakes his head amused. Sara looks to Tony. “Well does he?” she asks. “I'm genuinely curious”

“Does he have a what?” Steve asks, Bucky clears his throat and gives Steve a look. “Oh” Steve mumbles. “Oh” he repeats before looking up. “Does he?”

“Ah damn it now I'm curious” Bucky adds. Sam chuckles and then nods.

“Yeah, does he?” Sam asks.

“Because if he doesn't” Sara starts and looks to Wanda. “I would say invest in a rabbit”

“Okay” Tony scolds lightly. Steve looks to Bucky.

“What's a rabbit got to do with this?” Steve asks, Bucky shrugs back at him.

“Not at the dinner table” Tony warns Sara.

“What? You boys talk about things us girls aren't interested in at the table” Sara counters, Wanda nods agreeing. “Well I want to talk about......fonduing”

“Please stop saying that” Bucky begs a little.

“What does this have to do with rabbits?” Steve asks, Wanda and Sara look to him then share a look themselves before they are laughing. Tony sighs and shakes his head at Steve.

“Hey, what about Vision, does he or does he not have a penis?” Sam asks looking around the table.

“I feel very uncomfortable” Vision answers.

“Me too” Peter agrees. “I think I'll have dinner at Aunt May's from now on....you guys are weird”

…................

Sara sets a dish in the sink and grabs a glass from the side adding it to the others, Bucky approaches and sets the salad bowl at her elbow.

“What's your favourite colour?” Bucky asks leaning against the counter, Sara looks to him as Sam nods at the table, he and Steve share a look, both men pleased with Bucky's progress, even just in this one day.

“My favourite colour?” Sara asks and then shrugs. “Blue...actually it's a blue called old glory blue”

“The American flag?” Bucky asks, she nods.

“Yeah, it's stupid but I think it's patriotism, I blame Steve's DNA” Bucky smirks as she smiles at him. “What about you?”

“It's going to sound weird with the whole Winter Soldier thing but....red or black, varies on my mood, though recently blue's been creeping up” he looks to her, those blue eyes staring back at him, she smiles at him. Bucky looks to Sam who nods and motions to Sara. Bucky takes a breath. “What about...films?” he asks, she looks to him.

“Westerns” she answers. “Clint Eastwood ones are among my favourites”

“Westerns?” he asks. “Really? I had you pegged for...romcoms”

“Because I am a girl?” she asks nudging him, he nods.

“I know....I shouldn't've judged” he offers softly. She looks to him and smiles, he smiles back.

“Anything else?” she asks, he raises an eyebrow at her and then hums.

“You tell me” he answers leaning closer a little. “Tell me anything”

“Oh” Sara starts to unbutton her shirt, Bucky's eyes widen and he looks around the room before looking back to Sara.

“What are you doing?” he asks, she smirks and stops after three buttons before pulling it away from her shoulder.

“Look” she tells him. “See it. A werewolf bite” she offers, and there across the top of her arm, creeping onto her shoulder is a huge bite.

“Werewolves are real?” he asks.

“You met Death and Castiel.....a horseman and an angel” she points out.

“Well yeah, but....werewolves?” he asks, she cocks her head and smirks.

“Come to my room tonight, and I'll show you what else is real” she offers, Bucky stares at her. “I'm not making a move...I'm offering, if you want to know what's out there, I will tell you”

“Okay” he nods. “Do I want to know?” he asks her.

“We'll start simple....and then when you start freaking out, we'll stop” she teases, he smirks.

“You are so sure I'll freak out?” he asks, she nods.

“Everyone does” she offers and then walks away.

 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**3 Weeks later**

Steve and Tony stand watching Bucky and Sara laughing on the couch whilst they watch Dr. Sexy M.D. They've been pretty inseparable since Tony lifted his rules on Bucky, in fact the only things Sara does alone now is shower, go to church and train, though Bucky has started watching the latter, not trusting himself enough to train with her, but he can watch her and offer suggestions. They've also been switch sharing beds, both sleeping better with company, both sleeping through the night knowing there is someone there next to them, someone they can trust. And they do both trust one another. Even after so little time.

“I've never seen her laugh like that” Tony admits. “At least she hasn't around me” Tony sighs. “Damn it, I hate being wrong”

“You really wanted him to hurt her?” Steve asks.

“Of course not....I just thought he would” Tony admits. “You know...given his history with this family” Steve shoots Tony a look, Tony smirks back at him.

“Wilson says he's doing really well in therapy” Steve offers. “And I know he's been sleeping better, and he hasn't had an episode in 4 weeks, when we first moved in he was having one every other day but since Sara moved in.....”

“Yeah” Tony agrees. “It has been quiet” Tony looks to Steve. “I'm not giving them my blessing. Things could still go wrong. She was with Dean for 3 years and he broke her heart.....” Tony turns and walks away, Steve sighs and shakes his head a little. Unlike Tony he can see how Bucky and Sara balance one another out. He smiles and then leaves them alone. Bucky and Sara glance back once Steve is gone.

“Do they know we can hear them?” Bucky asks, Sara looks to him.

“I don't think so” she answers. Bucky shrugs and turns back to the tv and Sara settles back against his side, his metal arm resting on the back of the couch behind her. It had taken him a while to become comfortable with his metal arm around her, but she'd grabbed it one day, without thinking to pull him along, and hadn't let go, or flinched, after that he wasn't as self-conscious about it around her. He smiles at her as she watches the screen, a little crinkle at the corner of her lips as she half smiles, he's come to realise that is her content smile, her comfortable smile. He makes her comfortable. He ghosts his metal fingers over the side of her arm and looks to her warmly, longingly, lovingly.

…................

Sara sits crossed legged on the mat in the gym with her cell phone pressed to her ear, Sam had called whilst she'd been working out, and whilst she's currently not talking to Dean, she still is friends with Sam, and he's been filling her in over the last three weeks on both their recoveries.

“He won't admit it, Sara, but he does miss you” Sam tells her.

“He sent me away, Sam, I didn't choose this....and he knows where I am” Sam sighs.

“I know” he admits. “But he's stubborn...and...he's not going to make the first move here”

“And neither am I” Sara counters. “I'm the injured party here....it's done, we're over and I can't see that changing, I'm sorry because I know you are only trying to help, but I can't see a future with him, or even hunting.....I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to want me back. I'm sorry, Sammy” Sam sighs.

“No, I know...I just, I miss you”

“And I miss you too” Sara offers warmly. “And I'm here if you need me, but not on the little things, something big comes up, end of the world big and you really need help, then yes, I will be there.....”

“Okay” Sam whispers. “Thank you”

“Goodbye, Sam” she tells him before hanging up, she sighs and hangs her head.

“Everything alright?” Steve asks sitting across from her, she tilts her head to look up at him.

“Just...ex stuff”

“That Dean guy, right?” Steve asks, she nods. “I'm not very good at the breakup stuff” he admits, she smiles a little.

“Just....sit with me for a bit?” she asks of him. “I don't really want to be alone” Steve nods and moves to sit next to her, she leans against his side and he wraps an arm around her. “Thank you” she whispers.

...............

Sara enters the living room and heads straight for Bucky sitting on the couch. She throws his hoodie at him causing him to frown at her.

“We're going out” she tells him, and he then notes that she's made more of an effort with her clothing, slowly disappearing is the hunter and in place a more feminine, softer Sara, pre-hunter Sara.

“Doll” he starts setting the hoodie aside. “You know I don't leave the tower....”

“Well today you do” she argues crossing her arms over her chest. “I've been here five weeks and you've not stepped foot out once, you escaped hydra, Bucky, but you just traded it for another prison” he looks away. “So we are going out, and we are going to have fun” Bucky looks to his hoodie and then sighs, Sara moves to him and wraps her arms around his neck. He looks to her. “Just a few hours....” he finally nods and she pulls back and smiles.

“Where are we going?” he asks standing and pulling the hoodie on.

“It's a surprise” she answers holding out her hand to him. “You have to trust me” he moves to her and lets her take his metal hand.

“I do trust you” he tells her, she looks up at him. “I trust you, Doll” he assures her, she smiles and holds out a glove for his metal hand and he takes it from her with his own smile.

….............

Bucky walks Sara back to her room when they return, a few hours had actually turned into most of the day, and he'd forgotten all about his issues with leaving the tower. And he's had more fun with her today then he has since before the Winter Soldier. And it's all because of Sara. He turns to her as she stops and brushes her hair back, smiling at her.

“Thank you” he offers, she cocks her head. “For...convincing me to leave the tower” she smirks.

“It wasn't so bad, right?” she asks, he nods and brushes his thumb over her cheek.

“It was....nice” he offers.

“The kid throwing up on your shoes ruined it a bit, didn't it?” she asks, he smiles and nods.

“A little bit” he agrees. “I haven't been to Coney Island since the 40s” he takes her hand and smiles. “So much has changed” she smiles back at him. “I know I've been a...complicated friend” he offers.

“No, you haven't” she assures him.

“I have” he argues.

“It's alright, Bucky” she tells him squeezing his hand. “Some days it takes all my strength just to get out of bed” she admits, he touches her cheek sadly. “And I see it on you too, those days when all you want to do is curl up....” he nods. “We're both coping with everything.....we're mending” he kisses her forehead and pulls back.

“Thank you” he repeats and squeezes her hand. “I mean it...” Sara smiles and holds up the pink bunny in her hand.

“You want the bunny?” she asks, he chuckles and shakes his head.

“No, you keep him....” he touches the bunny and smirks. “I had fun” he admits, she smiles lowering the bunny.

“Good” she tells him warmly. “See...the world isn't such a bad place to be after all”

“How do you do it?” he asks her. “How are you so...positive about everything?”

“I'm not” she argues. “Believe me, I'm not...but if I let the darkness in, I'm afraid it won't leave” she admits. “So I try to stay positive, try to find something good in everything....In everyone. So that I can believe that this world is worth saving” he strokes her cheek and then leans closer. “Bucky” she whispers, a warning in it. He kisses her, threading his fingers into her hair, she grabs onto his hoodie and kisses him back. Bucky pulls back and Sara stares up at him. “Wow” she whispers, Bucky smirks and nods.

“Maybe we can do this again” he tells her, she cocks her head.

“Coney Island...or the kiss?” she asks, Bucky chuckles as he walks away, Sara touches her lips and smiles.

…..............

Bucky sits across from Wilson who taps his pen against his notepad.

“I think I'm ready to ask her out” Bucky tells Sam who raises an eyebrow. “I went out, I left the tower....”

“And? How'd it feel? What did you do?”

“Sara took me to Coney Island....I rode the cyclone, more then 60 years after the last time I rode it....ate cotton candy, won a bunny.....” Bucky looks to Sam. “I had fun. Real fun”

“You were here 5 months before Sara moved in....and you never left...” Bucky nods agreeing.

“She...is very persuasive” Bucky tells him with a smirk.

“What are you not saying?” Sam asks, Bucky looks to him.

“I kissed her” Bucky admits. “I...kissed her” he repeats. “And I didn't want to stop”

 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Bucky sits with Steve having breakfast, he hadn't slept very well, he'd had to sleep alone as Sara and Tony were up all night watching horror flicks, which means that Bucky hasn't really slept, three weeks of them sleeping side by side and then one night, he can't even go one night without her. He sighs and Steve looks to him.

“You thought about what we talked about last night?” Steve asks, Bucky looks to him and stares. “About how you're going to ask Sara out. Have you even decided what you are going to do?” Bucky cocks his head.

“I was thinking.....picnic in Central Park” Bucky answers. “Something simple but...I could put in her favourite foods....” Steve smiles and nods.

“Sounds great actually....”

“Yeah, except all I got is cotton candy and apple cinnamon pie” Bucky counters. Steve chuckles.

“Well then it's simple” Steve starts. “Finger sandwiches...with all different fillings” he offers. “But if she is anything like me...” Steve teases, Bucky shoots him a look. “Then you can't go wrong with a Reuben. Oh and strawberries....chocolate covered strawberries and champagne”

“Champagne” Bucky mumbles.

“And music” Steve offers. “A phone or a radio....” Steve pats Bucky's shoulder. “And dance with her”

“I do remember how to do this..” Bucky counters. “Kind of. Wait...it's wrong now to sleep with the girl on the first date, right?” Steve punches Bucky's human shoulder as Bucky laughs. This is what Steve's missed. His best friend laughing, the two of them talking like this.

“Remember...she's still getting over her ex” Steve points out. “So don't...”

“I know, Steve” Bucky interrupts him. “I know I have to go slow....we both do, because I still have slithers of the Winter Soldier lurking in me and she's still hurting. I just know that I feel more like the old me around her then I do....around anyone else” he admits. “Even you. I need you to help me with this, you need to make sure I don't screw this up” Steve nods.

“I promise” Steve offers. “Whatever you need” Bucky nods in thanks and taps his fingers on the table.

“I need to make some sandwiches” he mumbles and then stands.

“I can't wait to watch this” Steve mumbles.

“Watch?” Bucky asks. “No, you're helping.....whatever I need, remember?” Steve sighs and stands.

“I'm going to regret promising that” Steve complains.

…...............

Bucky leans in the doorway to the gym where Sara is training with Clint and Natasha. Two on one. He's seen Sara train before, but watching her in an actual combat situation is different, she moves more fluidly, gracefully. Though she was designed to be another Captain America she was trained to move more like an assassin, the way she spins and ducks and dances around her opponents, her fighting style tuned to her size and height, she's smaller then Steve, she has to adjust her fighting because of it. Howard knew what he was doing when he had her trained. Sara turns and sweeps Natasha's legs out from under her, Natasha hits the matt with a thud, and Sara turns and manages to floor Clint within two moves. It's beautiful. She stands over the two of them who groans and push themselves up off the mat, Clint spots Bucky and then looks to Sara.

“Same time next week” Clint tells Sara.

“Later, Canary” Natasha throws over her shoulder as she leaves with Clint, Bucky raises an eyebrow.

“Canary?” he asks, Sara turns to him.

“Tony calls them super-names” she answers. “Iron Man, Captain America....Black Widow....” she motions to him. “Winter Soldier....” she motions to herself. “White Canary” she unwraps the tape on her hands and cocks her head as he shuffles slightly. “Bucky? Everything okay?” she asks.

“I urm....I...” Bucky groans and then shakes his head. “It can wait” Sara moves to him and touches his flesh arm, he relaxes a little and nods. “Would you like to join me for lunch?” he asks her, she smiles.

“I would love to” she answers softly. “Want to order in? Thai? Chinese?”

“Actually” he starts. “We're going out” she smiles up at him.

“We are?” she asks, he nods.

“You were right” he tells her. “I need to start...breaking out of the prison” he teases. “And I want to do it with you” she smiles warmly at him.

“Well let me shower and change...and I'm all yours” she tells him before walking away, Bucky lets out a breath and smiles before turning around to leave.

…..........

Sara pulls on her necklace as she walks into the kitchen, Bucky stands adjusting his jacket, foregoing the hoodie for an actual jacket. She's proud of him. He's trying. He looks to her and smiles.

“Ready?” she asks, he nods and adjusts his jacket again.

“Wanda...let me borrow the basket” he tells her motioning to the picnic basket on the counter. “Steve helped with food...” he mumbles nervously.

“Bucky” she states taking his hand. “Stop, slow down...” he looks to her. “Take a deep breath” he does. She smiles. “We've had lunch before...” she tells him.

“I know” he agrees. “But...”

“This is a date and that's why you are nervous?” she asks, he nods. “Okay” she touches his chest and smiles. “What is it about this that makes you nervous?” she asks.

“I don't know” he admits. “This...” he sighs. “This is my first date since before the Winter Soldier and I feel like I am...out of practice” he admits.

“So...this isn't a date” she tells him, he frowns at her. “This is two friends who like each very much having lunch. Does that take the pressure off?” she asks. Bucky nods a little.

“Actually....yes” he answers. “A little” she reaches up and strokes his cheek, he smiles at her. Lightning cracks the sky and the rain begins to pour. Bucky groans. “Typical” he growls and sighs. “Guess it doesn't matter about nerves now” he tells Sara who bites her lip and shakes her head.

“No” she looks to him and smiles. “This isn't over....” she grabs the picnic blanket from the counter and moves towards the French doors, she waves the blanket out onto the floor before opening the doors. It's August so it is still warm even with the rain. She turns to Bucky and raises an eyebrow at him, he relaxes and smiles back at her grabbing the basket from the side and moves to her.

…...........

Sara laughs against Bucky's chest as he chuckles. It's the most relaxed he's felt in years and it's all because of her. He smiles and looks down at her as she clutches to her chest, her laughter drawing out as she calms herself slightly. He raises the glass of champagne to his lips and takes a sip as Sara sighs softly leaning against him. The elevator pings and the doors open.

“Well this looks cosy” a voice states behind them, Bucky pulls away and Sara looks back to Sam Winchester who smile and waves at them. “Hey, sorry, I should have called ahead but...” Sara stands and raises an eyebrow. “It's just me” he assures her. “And I can go...if you two want to go back to your lunch” Bucky shakes his hand.

“No, you're fine, we can have lunch whenever, she misses her friend” Sara looks to Bucky surprised as he stands and takes her hand. “I'll clean up...you two talk”

“Thank you” she whispers to him, he strokes her arm and grabs the empty glasses from the rug, Sara nods to the balcony and Sam moves to join her. Sam leans on the balcony rail and looks out of the city as it rains. “So where is he?” Sara asks leaning next to him.

“There was a hunt not far away, I wanted to come see you” Sam answers. “He didn't...well he did, he just....” she nods.

“He just didn't want the distraction” she finishes.

“He didn't want the reminder of what he did” Sam corrects. “Of what he lost” she sighs and looks away to Bucky who is cleaning up their picnic. Sam follows her eyes. “You can date whoever you want, Sara” Sam tells her, she fiddles with the ring on her finger. “And it's been 5 weeks....as long as he understands that you've just come out of a relationship”

“He does” Sara assures him. “We're....we've not talked about it, not really, not about where this is going, or even what it is. But I like him” Sam smiles at her. “He makes me smile....and after Dean”

“No, I get it” he tells her. “It's about someone who makes you happy, who makes the hurt disappear.....” he takes her hand. “Dean told me about the whole.....Captain America thing” she sighs. “I think it's pretty cool” Sam offers. “I mean....I get why you lied, and me and Dean have absolutely no right to say anything about lying, so....we're fine” he offers. Sara motions for his hand.

“It's still bleeding” she states and takes his wrist. “I thought you did this weeks ago” he nods as she unwraps it.

“I did”

“It should be healing not bleeding” she looks over the wound and sighs. “Let me see to this” she turns and heads back inside towards the kitchen, Bucky sits at the counter fidgeting, Sara offers him a smile as Sam turns and follows her.

“You seem different here” Sam admits. “You look different” she glances to him as she find the first aid kit.

“Different?” she asks back.

“Good different” he assures her. “Lighter....feminine” Sara looks over her outfit and frowns.

“I guess I don't have a need for the practicality of jeans and plaid any more” she offers moving to him as he stops at the counter, she takes his hand. “Have you heard from Castiel?” she asks, Sam looks down. “Sam?”

“Urm....he....” Sam sighs. “He walked into a reservoir and....dissolved”

“Dissolved?” she asks.

“The leviathan....they burst free, he's gone, Sara” he tells her, she nods and looks down. Bucky looks to her sadly.

“Oh” she breathes.

“Dean said he was going to tell you...” Sam offers, Sara sighs and shakes her head.

“Well he didn't....” she corrects and wraps his hand in a fresh bandage and then closes the first aid kit. “Me and Castiel may never have seen eye to eye but I still cared, and I should have been told” she whispers. “We were a team...”

“I know” Sam agrees. “I know...” he takes her hand and smiles sadly at her. “Thanks for the patch up....” Sam tells Sara as he stands. “I won't keep you from your lunch” he offers Bucky a nod before turning to leave, stepping into the elevator. “Oh, and you look beautiful, Sara” Sam adds as the elevator doors close, Sara looks down at her dress and smiles.

“I'm sorry about your friend” Bucky offers.

“We...we weren't really friends” Sara stops smiling. “He called me Anomaly...because I was....an anomaly. I am a creation of science and not of God....” Bucky stands and moves to her, touches her arm and pulls her closer. “I..” he strokes her arm.

“It's okay” he whispers. “He was an ally...that's important too” he kisses her forehead, she leans into him, breathing him in, letting him calm her.

 


	19. Chapter Eighteen

The next few months are whirlwind as they say, Bucky and Sara grow closer, and closer. She doesn't run off after Sam and Dean. Bucky opens up more with Sam and Steve's help. They're good but they could be better. Bucky wants more. He sits in Sam's office impatient and nervous. His metal fingers clench and unclench on his knee. The office door opens and Sam hurries in, hair wet, skin glistening. He looks rushed as he moves to his chair.

“What took you so long?” Bucky growls as Sam sits across from him.

“You called me five minutes ago, Barnes, I was in the shower” Sam takes a breath and then raises an eyebrow. “Now what's the problem” Bucky flexes his fingers and then nods.

“I urm...I need to know that what I am about to do is the right thing for me and Sara” Sam nods and motions for Bucky to carry on. Bucky pulls and folded print out from his jacket pocket and unfolds it before giving it to Sam. Sam raises an eyebrow reading it.

“This is an apartment listing” Sam points out, Bucky nods. “Studio apartment over looking Central Park...”

“What's that face for?” Bucky asks watching Sam's reaction. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing” Sam answers. “I actually think you and Sara are ready for this....”

“But?” Bucky asks.

“It's very...white” Sam answers, Bucky sighs a little. “You're a very dark person, Barnes....”

“But she isn't” Bucky argues. “She is my light....” Sam smiles at him. “Shut up” Bucky grumbles.

“You've technically been living together for the last 15 months and you've been officially dating for 4....getting your own place, somewhere that is yours, just the two of you....it's a step in the right direction” Sam hands the listing back to Bucky who touches it softly. “And that you've checked first shows how serious you are about this” Sam adds. “That you want to make sure it works” Bucky nods. “Have you told her how you feel yet?” Sam asks leaning back.

“She knows” Bucky answers.

“Did you tell her?” Sam counters, Bucky looks out the window.

“No” He admits. “I should do that first” he mumbles and then looks to Sam. “How do I do that?” he asks.

“Well....how do you feel about her?” Sam counter asks, Bucky looks away again. “If you can't admit it out loud, how can you tell her?” Bucky looks down.

..................

Bucky lays on the couch the tv playing Dr. Sexy. M.D, he runs his fingers through Sara's hair where she lays back against his chest, legs tangled together, his metal arm resting around her waist, a blanket covering the both of them. Neither had ventured out of their pjs and opted for a tv day. Well a Dr. Sexy day, Bucky is now hooked, he honestly couldn't say when or why it happened, but one day he just found himself sitting in front of the tv without thinking about it.

"Oooo" He teases as Dr. Wang slaps Dr. Sexy. Sara chuckles against him and he smiles.

"He shouldn't have criticised her mitral valve procedure" she counters.

"Preach" Bucky teases, she laughs harder. He loves her laugh, there is something so....magical about it. Warm and tingling that fills him with warmth.

"Oh my God!" Bucky and Sara both shout at the tv, both surprised and excited.

"Are they?" Sara asks.

"They are" Bucky agrees. "Dr Sexy and Dr. Wang are..."

"Fonduing" Sara adds, Bucky bursts into laughter and pulls her closer to laugh into her hair.

"You have to stop saying that" he mumbles. "Because I almost piss myself every time" he admits, she looks to him.

"Why is it so funny?" she asks, Bucky brushes her hair back.

"Because....I used to make fun of Steve when he used to say...Fonduing" she scoffs and looks away.

"I don't even known why I started using it..." she admits. "It just came out one day" she sighs.

"It sounds better when you say it" he offers stroking her cheek, she offers him a small smile. "It's rather fetching actually" he offers her a warm smile, she sighs and sets her head back against his chest. He strokes her arm softly. Her phone rings from the coffee table and Bucky complains as she wiggles free to grab it, she smiles seeing the caller idea and then holds the phone to her ear.

"Bobby" she greets warmly.

"Sara" he greets back as she lays back against Bucky's chest, he strokes her arm. "Listen, I know they won't ask but I will....the boys are facing a God and I don't think they can handle it...I figured whilst you are living with the Avengers...and they have their own God" Sara sits up more and cocks her head.

"Which one?" she asks swinging her legs gently off the sofa, Bucky sighs and closes his eyes.

"As far as I can tell...Egyptian, the God Osiris" Bobby answers, Sara sighs.

"I'll talk to Thor....text me the information" she hangs up and stands, Bucky pouts up at her, she smiles softly. "I have to" she tells him, he nods and touches her hand.

"Your loyalty is admirable" he offers warmly. "And endearing...I'll be here" she touches his cheek and smiles before leaving him alone, he sighs and rests his head back. Perhaps he is being too lenient, letting her run off after her ex, to keep saving his life. But that's who she is. And it's part of what he likes so much about her.

..................

Sara walks with Thor towards the balcony of the tower, she pulls her jacket around herself as he looks out over the city.

"The Asgardians don't often mix with other God races" Thor admits. "But I have always been fascinated by Zeus" she chuckles and looks to him.

"The lightening thing, huh?" she asks, he smiles down at her. "You know I met your father once" she admits.

"You did?" Thor asks.

"Yes, it wasn't a pleasant meeting. He and a number of other Gods gathered to talk about the Apocalypse"

"Ah, aye, I remember" Thor tells her. "My older brother Baldur died at that event"

"I'm sorry for your loss" Sara tells him touching his arm. He smiles softly at her.

"Thank you" he raises an eyebrow. "What happened with the apocalypse?" he asks.

"We stopped it" she answers. "Put the devil back in his box..." Thor nods and pats her shoulder.

"Then you have proven you are not just the Captain's double" he tells her. "You have proven you are more then capable of carving your own path in this world" she smiles and nods.

"Thank you for that" she tells him.

"You saved the world" he offers. "And did it all in secret...with no praise, no thanks......you may even be better then the Captain" he offers and then presses a finger to his lips. "But....let us not tell him that" she laughs and nods. "Now let me see those symbols your hunting friend sent" Sara turns her phone to Thor and he nods. "Aye these are definitely Egyptian" he agrees. "From the Book of the Dead"

"You've never met any other God races...."

"I never said that" he quickly corrects. "I said it's not often we mix" he hands the phone back. "I have met a few Goddesses from other races before..." She raises an eyebrow at him. Thor clears his throat and nods.

"Have you heard of Osiris?" she asks, Thor nods.

"Aye, King of the Afterlife. He is a real authoritarian type. He is the judge, the jury, and the executioner" Thor looks to Sara. "My father used to say that Osiris can see directly into the human heart. He weighs the guilt. If he finds more than a feather's worth...."

"How do we kill him?" she asks, Thor raises an eyebrow.

"The little warrior shows no fear" he teases lightly. "Another God..." he answers and smirks. "Luckily you have one willing to aid you" she looks around before looking back to him.

"Where?" she asks smirking, Thor chuckles and nudges her softly, she still stumbles a little.

"Shall we?" he asks back, she nods, Thor spins Mjolnir around and Sara sighs.

"Really? Can we not drive?" she asks, Thor wraps his arm around her waist and smirks.

"No" he answers and then holds Mjolnir forward, and then flies off with Sara.

...............

Wilson raises an eyebrow as Bucky drops into the chair across from him.

"I thought you and Sara had plans"

"We did" Bucky grumbles. "She had to go help....him" he grumbles, Sam raises an eyebrow back.

"Him?" he asks.

"Dean" Bucky answers. "He ex...."

"You think she still has feelings for him?" Wilson asks, Bucky nods a little tightening his jaw.

"It's only been a few weeks" Bucky offers. "Some times she..." he sighs. "Says his name in her sleep. It's a little....off putting"

"You changing your mind?" Sam asks, Bucky shakes his head.

"Nope" Bucky answers. "Just makes me more determined. She may be running after him now..." Bucky looks to Sam. "But I am going to show her that I am the better choice. That with me.....I won't hurt her like he did...." Sam smirks at him. "What's that smirk for?" Bucky growls.

"You're not even dating her and you're....this protective of her. You do know that she is just as enhanced as you and Steve and as trained as Natasha"

"I know" Bucky grumbles. "I'm not talking physical hurt" Bucky adds. "She's strong and powerful but she's still human, she can still get inside hurt...." Sam nods agreeing. "She deserves better" Bucky offers softly.

 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Sam Winchester enters a barn holding a shotgun. In another part of the barn, Dean is chained to a chair in a room that contains an ornate throne and Egyptian statues.

"Really, Warren? All you noticed were the symbols?" Dean mumbles to himself. Osiris is now on the throne.

"Quit squirming, Mr. Winchester. They're Houdini-proof. Now, you want to talk charges, or..."

"I'd rather talk about your Bukowski schtick at the bar. What, you can't jump a guy when he's sober?"

"You and that waitress had quite a talk, huh? Get a couple drinks in you, and the guilt comes pouring out" Osiris states.

"Oh, eavesdropping – that's cute"

"Speaking of... You're gonna skulk all night, Sam?" Osiris asks. The door to the room slides open by itself, revealing Sam.

"Sam?"

"Nice job finding us. I assume you figured out who I am, too?"

"Yeah"

"You want to fill me in?" Dean asks Sam.

"Osiris. He's an Egyptian God"

"Ta-da! Now, go about your business, Sammy" Osiris tells Sam.

"Look, if anyone should be on trial, it's me" Sam counters.

"That's for me to decide. Now go away"

"But he – he has the right to an attorney. Doesn't he?"

"Huh"

"Let me defend him"

"Well, that's unusual"

"Are you gonna respect his rights or not?" Sam asks.

"Why not?"

"Uh, Sam? You're not a lawyer" Dean points out as Sam takes a seat next to him.

"I was pre-law"

"Yeah, pre"

"All right, then. Let's get started. Now, the list of witnesses I can call – endless" Osiris starts.

"Objection!"

"Are you gonna let me finish my sentence, Sam?"

"No. This isn't fair"

"Fair? I'm sorry. Moving on. I can make it very simple. Three witnesses"

"Objection!" Sam shouts again.

"Grounds?"

"Witness is being called without prior notice"

"Good one" Dean tells Sam.

"I saw that on "The Good Wife."" Sam admits.

"Yes. Very fine objection. Denied!" Osiris informs them.

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm the judge, son. Now stop objecting, or I'll find you in contempt – that is, kill you. So I advise you to let me move it along. The prosecution calls Joanna Beth Harvelle to the stand" Jo's ghost appears.

"Jo?" Dean asks.

"Dean. Sam. Long time. No Sara?" she asks, Dean shakes his head at her. Osiris beckons and Jo takes a seat near his throne.

"State your name for the court"

"Jo Harvelle" Jo states.

"And... what is your relationship to Dean Winchester?" Osiris asks.

"We worked together" Jo answers.

"Isn't it true that you admired him?"

"Well, as a hunter... yeah. As a guy, he was kind of a jerk" Jo answers, Dean looks somewhat hurt.

"So you saw him as a mentor of sorts?"

"I wouldn't put it like that"

"How would you put it?" Osiris asks.

"I don't know. I trusted him. So if you're trying to say that he was a bad guy or something..."

"Was it hard?"

"What?" Jo asks frowning.

"Working with him... considering your feelings"

"No. What feelings?" Jo asks.

"You would have done quite a bit for him – followed him into any battle"

"I know what you're getting at, and it's bull"

"So Dean had nothing to do with your first case, the one that started it all"

"It wasn't like that" Jo argues.

"No feelings. None at all. You would have chosen the same exact road. Ended up in that hardware store, holding the fuse"

"Oh, you're a piece of work. You know that? Putting words in her mouth..." Osiris gestures towards Dean and Dean gulps.

"Keep him under control, counsel... or I'll remove his tongue" Osiris gestures again and Dean draws a deep breath. "Your witness" Sam gets up and stands in front of Jo.

"Jo. So, um... your dad... was in the life?" Sam asks.

"Yes, he was"

"And your relationship with him?"

"Good. I mean..."

"You idolized him" Sam offers.

"Basically"

"So why'd you start? To impress some loudmouth ass you just met... Or 'cause you wanted to be like your dad?" Sam asks.

"Daddy issues. Definitely. Listen, Dean, I don't..." Osiris flicks his hand and Jo's ghost disappears.

"All right. You two can have a moment to strategize. And then I'll call my next witness" Osiris offers. Sam sits down next to Dean again.

"All right. Who's the next witness? He looked at you like you'd know" Dean asks.

"I got no clue. This whole thing's like a friggin' episode of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" Dean answers.

"Next witness! The prosecution calls... Sam Winchester to the....stand" Osiris frowns and looks to the door narrows his eyes. "What is that?" the door bursts open as a motorcycle drives straight through it, it skids to a stop in the centre of the barn, Sam and Dean share a look before looking at Sara sat astride the bike.

"That won't be necessary" Sara states looking every inch badass on the bike. She stands and throws her leg over it before walking forward.

"Sara" Dean states, she glances to him and then looks back to Osiris.

"Who do you think you are?!" Osiris snaps standing from his throne and towards her as she walks to meet him. "To walk in here...." Sara cocks her head a little.

"I'm the distraction" she points out with a smirk. Thor's hulking frame come flying from the right, Mjolnir held out in front of him, he flies straight into Osiris and they blow past Sara.

"Son of Odin!" Osiris shouts throwing Thor back with his mind, Osiris stands and looks to Sara. "Smart girl. Unfortunately for you" he steps towards her and she pulls her batons from back of her jacket and snaps them out taking a defensive stance, low, a baton held in front of her the other back behind her head. Osiris holds out his hand and his crook appears in his hand, he spins it and raises an eyebrow at Sara, she smirks and snaps her batons together creating her bo-staff, she raises an eyebrow back and spins it up against the back of her arm. "Interesting" Osris states staring at her. Osiris moves first, Sara ducks under the crook and raises her bo-staff to attack, he brings his crook up to block it, using the momentum he pushes her backwards, she spins under the crook before pulling up her bo-staff and knocking the crook from his hands, it flies across the barn and she stick slaps him across the cheek. Osiris looks pissed. Dean watches Sara, now she's not hiding who she is, the way she moves, why did she not show him this before? Osiris grabs the bo-staff and forces it back into Sara's face, her nose crunches but she doesn't even flinch, she spins tugging her bo-staff free. Thor takes over fighting Osiris, manages to get him flat on his back, Thor with a foot in his chest, he holds up his hammer gathering lightning from the sky, Thor glances to Sara who nods and looks to Sam and Dean.

"Get down!" She tells them, both men hit the deck and cover their heads, Sara ducks behind a hay bale, Thor brings down his hammer and hits Osiris with the power of the lightening, frying the Egyptian God. When the lightening finally dies down and Osiris is extra crispy Thor stands and moves to Sara who nods back at him. Thor then grabs her face. "Urm...personal space" she states.

"He broke your nose" Thor points out pressing his thumbs on either side of her nose. "Ready?" he asks, she nods a little and Thor breaks her nose back into place before pulling his hands back. "You did not even flinch" he states surprised.

"I don't feel physical pain" Sara admits as they move to Sam and Dean. "It's one of the side effects of Howard's cloning process" she collapses her batons and slides them away. "You both okay?" she asks Sam and Dean, they both nod.

"Thanks" Sam moves to hug her, she smiles and hugs him back. She pulls back first.

"We would have done fine without you" Dean points out.

"Bobby didn't seem to think so" Sara informs him.

"I'm sensing some form of hostility here" Thor offers looking at Sara.

"Dean here's my...former lover" she admits to Thor, Thor nods a little.

"Ah unfortunate"

"Not really" Sara counters flatly, Dean looks hurt. "We should be heading back" she tells Thor who nods a little. Sara turns to Sam and Dean, Dean's expression having returned to neutral. "See you around" she offers, Sam gives her an apologetic look, she shrugs back. Thor wraps an arm around Sara's waist.

"Hey" Dean scolds, Sam sighs, Sara steps away from Thor.

"No" she warns. "I am not riding the hammer.....we are finding a car"

"You rode a hammer?" Sam asks, Sara sighs.

"No" Sara answers. "I didn't ride the hammer" Thor snorts a little, Sara shoots him a look.

"I spin Mjolnir really fast, and it pulls me off the..."

"The hammer pulls you off?" Dean asks trying hard not to smirk.

"The ground. It pulls me off the ground" Thor finishes.

"You made the same mistake with Tony, didn't you?" Sara asks, Thor nods.

"Aye..." Thor answers. "I should know better by now" Sara sighs a little and then smiles.

"Alright, let's go by hammer" she offers moving closer to Thor, he smiles and wraps his arm around her waist. She gives Sam a nod, Sam waves back, Thor spins his hammer and then holds it forward, he flies off with Sara.

.....................

Bucky leans in the doorway as Sara pulls off her jacket, he and Sam had spoken more about Sara, and Sara and Dean, and Sara and Bucky. And Bucky realised that he might actually be....the rebound.

"So..." he starts looking to her. "Are we..." he sighs. "Is this too soon for you?" he asks.

"What do you mean?" Sara asks looking to him, Bucky sighs and heads into the room closing the door behind him.

"Look....you've not long broken up with Dean, you are still running off to...save him or whatever....that doesn't make sense"

"What?" she asks.

"When people break up, the wounded party usually gets angry, weepy, vengeful...." Bucky explains. "You're in denial"

"I know he broke up with me" she points out. "I know that that part of my life is over"

"But you're not feeling it" he points out. "You're all happy all the time..." she looks down. "No ones that happy, Sara....not about a break up"

"I am" she corrects.

"Sara" he whispers lifting her chin. "Everyone has something that brings them down. But you...." he sighs. "It's like you're ignoring the bad, putting it into a pile and ignoring it...."

"I'm not ignoring it...I baked" she points out, Bucky gives her a look. "I excessively baked" she adds. "That's what I do, that's how I cope..." he strokes her cheek. "Do you know how much I baked when Howard and Maria...." She stops and Bucky looks down, she clears her throat. "Well...Tony actually had to go on a diet" she offers quietly. "Baking helps" she whispers, Bucky steps closer.

"My point" he starts and then sighs. "Is that I really like you, Sara...I do...but I don't want to be your rebound" he tells her. "I want to be the last one" she looks to him. "You're not ready for anything....serious"

"Bucky" she whispers. He touches her cheek softly and smiles.

"We're still friends" he promises her. "I'll be here" He kisses her softly. "I'll wait...but you need to accept that it happened and deal with it" she looks away. "Otherwise it's just going to explode later on...and well.....it won't be pretty, trust me, bottling everything up is not going to help"

"What do you do?" she asks.

"Talking with Wilson helps" he reluctantly admits. "Or I box...usually Steve or a bag. I...also have a journal....my guns...I find a way to channel my emotions"

"So do I...through pie" Sara counters.

"We'll just stay friends for a bit" Bucky assures her. "And see how it goes...." she takes a breath and nods. "Right, I'm gonna take shower" Bucky tells her and then leaves, Sara frowns and looks away from the door before she grabs her jacket and leaves her room.

 


	21. Chapter Twenty

Sara sits in Sam Wilson's therapy room, she's waiting for him, in the dark, the door opens letting the man step into the room, he switches on the light and turns. Sam screams like a little girl seeing Sara sat on his sofa.

"Sara!" He scolds. "What the hell?"

"You talked Bucky into breaking things off with me?" she asks standing.

"Okay, no" Sam corrects. "We talked it out, and he came to that conclusion on his own...." Sara crosses her arms over her chest, Sam looks a little afraid. "Tony warned me you have a dark temper" Sam points out. "You wanna talk about it?"

"No, I don't want to talk about it. What I want is for people to stop deciding what they think is best for me" she answers. "You don't know me, Bucky barely knows me, what the hell gave you both the idea that you could....." she breaths a huff through her nose. Trying to control herself.

"Sit down" Sam tells her moving to his own. Sara glares at him. "Sit" he repeats, she does as she is told. "Just then...when you should have let yourself feel that anger, that betrayal, you pushed it away"

"I worked very hard at learning to control my emotions" She admits. "The dark ones anyway....."

"Why?" Sam asks, Sara looks away.

"There was an issue...a few of them, with the cloning process. Side effects. There was in all of us, but...mine didn't manifest until....after the program was shut down. If it was always there or not I can't tell you. Howard said I was inhumanly sensitive" she shrugs. "I attacked him with a wrench" she admits looking to Sam. "When I was ten"

"Why?" Sam asks.

"I was just so angry" she answers. "I wanted to go outside and play with other children and he told me I couldn't. I was too special to play with other children, too precious.....but I wanted it so badly that I just....when he said no....I don't know what happened. That was the first time that I felt a bad emotion that intensely. And it wasn't the last....so I started to learn to control myself, to force away bad emotions, so I didn't hurt anyone...."

"Have you ever hurt anyone else because of it?" Sam asks.

"After Howard died, Tony took me to a bar for the first time, I had my first drink....I actually had fun" she fidgets with her silver ring. "There was this guy sat two or three seats down the bar, he waited until Tony went to the bathroom before he approached me, started flirting. I didn't know how to process it" She admits. "Howard had me so sheltered that I didn't know how to.....process some guy talking to me like that.....Sooo....I rammed his head into the bar, 12 times and broke a bar stool over his back....fracturing his spine"

"Wow" Sam breaths. She nods. Sam leans forward. "Do you let yourself feel guilt? Do you ever feel it?" he asks.

"Yes" she answers. "I have to....without guilt...I'm a monster" she then snorts and shoots Sam a look. "You're crafty and sneaky" she points out, Sam smirks at her.

"Yep...feel better?" he asks, Sara looks away and sighs. "It's okay to let it out" Sam tells her. "To feel these things....is to be human"

"I can't" she admits. "That side of my personality, that side effect, it's dangerous....and bloodthirsty" she looks to her lap and pulls a thread from her jeans. "I don't like to think of the damage I could do, if I was to allow myself to be that person. So no..." she looks back to Sam. "It is not okay for me to feel those things...I concentrate on the good, I see the good in everything, even my break up with Dean"

"How so?" Sam asks. "What good came from that?"

"I met Bucky" she answers warmly. "Why would I be mad or upset about the events that lead me here, to this point in my life?" she asks him back. "Yes, it hurt that he walked away from me, that he threw away the life we had together, but I don't want to dwell on it, I want to get on with my life, I want to move past it. To be the better person here. I want to win this break up" Sam smirks at her, Sara sighs a little.

...................

Sara sits at the kitchen counter with a mug off coffee and a pastry, she's been thinking about everything Sam said and everything Bucky said and she's come to the conclusion it's all a load of crap. Bucky's just as scared of this relationship stuff as she is, things with Dean were easy, they kind of just fell into the roles of girlfriend and boyfriend without the need for labels, there were understandings, rules, unspoken rules and they just worked. With Bucky, because of Dean, things are different. She's more worried about things ending, about something happening, something bad happening. She really likes Bucky, cares for him, he's her....friend, maybe even her best friend. But after everything that happened with Dean she's not going to let herself get hurt again.

"Morning" Bucky tells her warmly entering the room, she looks to him and offers a small smile. "You okay?" he asks. "After...." She nods and then stands.

"No" she answers instead, Bucky frowns at her. Sara grabs the back of his head and pulls Bucky closer. "I know what you said" she tells him. "And I think it's crap" she admits before she kisses him. He kisses her back, his flesh hand finding her waist before she pulls back. "But you can have your time" she offers. "I'm...going to head up to my Dad's cabin, restock it, take a few days to myself, and check in on my friend Bobby....and then I'll be back. You can use that time to make up your mind....and I'm serious, Bucky, I'm not going to play this game with you, you want us to be something.....don't push me away. And don't criticize the way I handle my emotions, I've been doing it for more then 50 years.....I think I've got a hold on it" she lets go of him. "I think we could have something special" she admits. "But....I don't want to be messed around again" he presses his forehead to hers. "Goodbye, Bucky" she steps back and he closes his eyes as she leaves. Bucky presses the heels of his hands into his eyes and groans before lowering them.

"Idiot" he scolds himself. "Idiot" he repeats and shakes his head.

................

Sara's bike pulls up outside of Howard's cabin and she shuts off the engine before climbing off, Bobby opens the front door and smiles. Sara waves a little before grabbing the saddle bags from the back of the bike and heads into the cabin, Bobbie closing the door behind her.

"I brought supplies" she tells him heading for the kitchen. "I wasn't sure if you guys were.....shopping"

"Thanks" he states following her. "They're not here" he admits, she nods.

"I figured" Bobby raises an eyebrow. "I had the impala tracked to Prosperity, Indiana, I figured I have a few days" she starts unloading the bags.

"Well I am glad to see you" he admits warmly, she smiles and nods. Bobby notes the tense line of her shoulders and that tick by her eye, it's usually the tick she gets when one of the brothers have done something moronic and put themselves at risk, her I'm not happy but I'm not going to show it tick. Something is upsetting her.

"Sara?" he asks.

"Hmm" she sets a pack of beer into the fridge.

"Everything okay?" she nods, over the top, and takes a breath. "What happened?" he asks her walking closer to her and places his hand on her shoulder. The cabin door opens and Bobby and Sara look up and across to it as Sam enters, he sees Sara and smiles before Dean pushes in behind him, dragging Chet in, a leviathan they'd managed to capture.

"Any where we can keep him?" Dean asks.

"Not that I've found" Bobby answers. "Unless you want to go a shade greyer?" he asks. Sara snorts a little, Dean looks to her and raises an eyebrow.

"What?" she asks. "It was funny....50 shades of Grey" the three men give her a look, she shrugs and then pulls out her keys. "Here" Sara answers pulling a key from the key chain.

"I've checked every inch of this place" Bobby points out.

"Trust me, you didn't" Sara corrects and moves to the panelled wall at the back of the room, she sighs and runs her hand over the wall, counting before pushing, the panel opens to reveal a modern door, she looks to the others. "Howard" she offers as an explanation before unlocking the door that leads to a basement room. "There'll be restraints down there" Dean drags Chet past Sara, pauses slightly.

"Thanks" he offers quietly, she nods and turns on the basement lights, Dean heads down the stairs with Chet, Sara follows, they are then followed by Sam and Bobby. At the bottom of the stairs the room opens up to reveal a science lab.

"Wow" Sam breaths. "We're in one of Stark's labs?" he asks looking to Sara.

"Yes....this.." she sighs. "It's where Howard used to..." she pauses. "Keep track of my progress"

"He experimented on you?" Sam asks.

"He....." Sara pauses and looks to Sam. "Essentially, yes" she moves to pull a chair into the centre of the room and attaches it to the bolt in the ground. Dean sets Chet into the chair and Sara locks the wrist and ankles into place.

"Do we want to know what he used that chair for?" Bobby asks, Sara looks to him and shrugs.

"I was a.....wriggly child and a.....petulant teen" she answers and stands. "And....strong" she looks to the chair. "It was just safer for him" she sighs and shakes her head. "So....who is this?"

"A leviathan" Sam answers. "A he-witch helped us neutralise him...." Sam then smirks. "Actually the witches, husband and wife, their surname was Stark" Sara raises an eyebrow and then smiles a little.

"It's a common surname" she offers. Sam moves around the room as Dean watches Sara, she moves to a dusty computer in the corner and presses a few buttons.

"What's this?" Sam asks, they look to him, he motions to a white board. Sara smiles and presses a few more buttons the white board lights up. A series of photos scatter across it before ordering themselves along the side, equations, notes, video files.

"This is" Sara starts and smiles. "My....life....the first 36 years" Sam presses play on one of the video files and it stretches across the screen. A young Sara, maybe 5 or 6 sits swinging her legs in the chair, she's not tied down though. She's smiling, bright, innocent. Untarnished by life. Sam smiles at the screen. Sara shuts it down again and heads back upstairs. Dean looks to Bobby.

"What is she doing here?" he asks.

"She was dropping off supplies" Bobby answers. "She thought you wouldn't be here. Something's eaten that poor girl up and she almost told me before you two came barrelling in....." Sam sighs.

"I'll talk to her" Sam states and follows after Sara.

 


	22. Chapter Twenty One

Sara grabs her bags from the kitchen table and then leaves the cabin, she wasn't prepared for them coming back, she wanted a few days to herself, she doesn't mind Bobby, he's quiet, leaves her be but Sam and Dean.

“Hey, wait” Sam calls as he follows Sara out of the house.

“What?” she asks. “I really should get back on the road”

“What's going on?” he asks, she sighs.

“It's nothing you need to worry about” she answers.

“Is it...” Sam looks back to the cabin and turns back to her. “Did Bucky do something?” she shakes her head.

“It's not Bucky” she answers, Sam raises an eyebrow. “It's not just Bucky” She corrects. “It's me....and Dean too, Bucky's just worried about my....feelings”

“Right...” Sam nods.

“He said he just wants to be friends” she whispers. “Which is fine...it's not like I actually felt...” she stops and looks away frowning. “What does it matter?” she asks setting her bags on the bike.

“You can talk to me” Sam assures her. “I won't tell Dean” she looks to him.

“I thought Bucky.....” she rubs her hands over her face. “I started feeling things for him, the same things I felt for Dean....and I finally thought I was getting over him...but he's still getting in the way”

“You and Dean were inseparable for years, Sara, it's a huge change” Sam glances back to the cabin and then to Sara. “It effects him too” Sam admits. “He wakes up and he reaches for you....he still buys that extra slice of pie, he still puts that song on the radio that you like, he makes a joke and he looks for you because he knows you would laugh, sometimes you would be the only person to laugh.....” Sara wipes her hand across her cheek. “This sucks for all of us” Sam admits. “And you two are so clearly still in love with one another but you are both too bull headed...”

“He made his choice” she counters. “Now we all have to deal with it” she points out. “That's Dean though, right....stubborn to the end. No matter who gets hurt, even the people he claims to care about” she smiles sadly. “Did you know that Dean was the first serious relationship I ever had?” she asks. “57 years....of little things, flirtations, but I never let anyone close enough to.....” she sighs and shakes her head.

“Sara” Sam whispers and then pulls her into a hug, she sighs and rests her head against his chest.

“Hey” Dean states from the doorway, Sam pulls away from Sara. “Grab the duffel from the car” Dean throws his keys at Sam, who is slow, Sara snatches her hand up and catches them, she rolls her wrist and opens her fingers in front of Sam who takes them.

“Thanks” Sam tells her with a smirk.

“I should be going” Sara tells him and turns to her bike.

“It's getting late” Dean offers. “And this is your cabin....” Sara looks to him.

“I don't think that's a good idea” she tells him.

“Sara” Dean begs. “It's just one night” she sighs and closes her eyes, fighting that part of her brain that is wanting her to stay with him, even for one night. But she can't.

“No” she states shaking her head. She can't just let herself give in every time he asks her for something. That's the problem. That's Bucky's point. That she just keeps running to him. “I can't” she adds and climbs onto her bike. She looks up at Sam. “Call me” she asks of him, he nods and squeezes her shoulder before heading to the impala shooting Dean a look. Dean sighs and heads to Sara as she adjusts her jacket.

“Sara” Dean stops her from starting the bike and she sighs. “I know...I hurt you” she pulls her hand free. “But..”

“But what?” she asks looking up at him. Those huge blue eyes staring up at him. Filled with hurt, pain, and he knows it is all his fault. Those beautiful eyes. “You want to hurt me some more?” she asks.

“Don't” Dean whispers. “I know I screwed up” he admits threading his fingers through her hair, he loves her hair, even after hunts, it would still be so soft and clean and he'd sit and runs his fingers through it for hours... “Sweetheart” he whispers and leans closer. “I miss you” he admits and ghosts his lips over hers before he kisses her. Sara kisses him back. It's familiar. It feels like home. But he...broke her heart.

“I can't do this” she pulls away from him. Dean hangs his head. “You made your choice” she whispers. “You pushed me away” she starts her bike. “You can't just...change it back” she scolds. “That's not how this works....” she shakes her head and then pulls away.

….............

Sara's bike skids to a stop on some dirt road in the middle of nowhere. She shakes out her hair and sighs closing her eyes. He's under her skin like a damn virus. Every time she thinks she is close to moving on, he pops back up and pushes her back two steps. She groans and throws her head back as it starts to rain. She lets the first few droplets splash her face before she is starting her bike again.

….............

Dean lays awake staring at the ceiling of the bedroom eyes tracing the dagger marks, Sara's dagger marks. He's guessing her moody teen years were spent laying here and throwing a blade at the wood work above her. He looks around the room, there are marks everywhere, burn marks, gun shot marks, fist holes. The wardrobe door is hanging off and there is actually a ninja star wedged in the wall that ain't coming out, he knows, he tried. He sighs and turns onto his side to look out the window, that actually has locks on them, he thought his childhood was rough, but Howard, they barely know anything but being brought here, to this cabin, to be experimented on, tested, physically and mentally, then to be locked inside. That's something else. He stares at the locks on the window before turning away again, looking back to the dagger marks. The door opens and a female figure steps in, Dean lifts himself up onto his elbows and looks to her as she locks the door.

“Sara?” Dean asks staring at her, she takes a shaky breath and turns to him. Drenched from the rain, the moonlight reflects on Sara as she steps closer to the bed.

“I want to move on” she admits. “I want to stop thinking about you....I want to be able to wake up and not feel this pain in my chest” she stops reaching the bed. “Like someone punched a great big gaping hole into it” Dean swallows the lump in his throat. “Now you are going to make love to me for the last time because I deserve this closure” Sara tells him, Dean looks to her surprised as she pulls off her jacket.

“Wait, what?” he asks.

“You heard me...” she counters kicking off her boots and then unbuttons her jeans raising an eyebrow at him.

 


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

Dean wakes and reaches out to the other side of the bed, expecting to find Sara, he frowns finding it empty, and cold. He sits up and looks around the room. There is no sign that Sara was actually there. He's honestly not sure she was. No smell. No feeling. Nothing left behind. No broken lamp. Nothing. He's alone.

“It never happened” Dean whispers to himself. “She was never here. It was damn dream?” he asks angrily and then climbs out of bed. It had felt so real to him, her flesh under his fingers, her moans in his ears, her breath, her hair.....he shakes his head and growls at himself. This is ridiculous.

…...................

Bucky wakes to smaller hands on his chest, he frowns, panics a little before he smells her. Sara. He turns his head to her as she sets it against his arm.

“I know I said I would give you time” she whispers, he curls his metal arm around her waist and pulls her closer, he gives her a warm smile.

“I'm glad you're here, doll” he greets. “You were right”

“Well...I do love hearing that” she counters brushing his hair back from his eyes, crinkled still half asleep, and none the less adorable. “But so were you” she smiles. “No more running off after my ex” She promises him. “Unless it is the end of the world” he nods and smiles at her, leans closer nudging her nose. She closes her eyes and he kisses her. Soft at first. He's making sure she's sure about this. About him. She closes the gap and kisses him.

“Get some sleep, sweetheart” he whispers pulling back, she nods and rests her head on his chest closing her eyes. He threads his fingers through her hair and holds her close to him.

….....................

Bucky leans in the doorway watching Sara cook, wearing on of his shirts, he smiles, this is the right choice. Her and him together, is the right thing. Feels right. Sleeping with her in his arms. Is right. Her wearing his shirt. Right. That little light-hearted smile on her lips as she chews on a slice of bacon. Right. Sara Stark. Sara Lance. Whatever name she chooses. Right. He smiles wider and leans up.

“Sooo” Bucky starts approaching her.

“Sooo?” Sara asks glancing over her shoulder at him, Bucky smiles.

“Can I tell people you're my girlfriend now?” he asks, Sara sighs. “No, not that sigh” he grumbles.

“Bucky....” she turns to him. “We haven't even had a proper date yet” he nods and licks his lips before smirking.

“Alright...you and me, tonight.....dinner” she raises an eyebrow at him.

“Alright” she agrees. “Dinner sounds nice” he leans closer to kiss her, she smirks and turns away chuckles. He pouts at her. She strokes his neck and turns back to the stove where she cooks breakfast. He pokes her side and she squeals a little, Bucky's eyes widen.

“Are you...ticklish?” he asks, she shoots him a look.

“No” she lies, unconvincingly. Bucky raises an eyebrow pressing himself against her back, she closes her eyes as his hand wanders up to her waist, he pokes her again. “Bucky!!” she screams turning to hit him, he laughs dodging her. “I swear to God” she scolds as he grabs her wrist pulling her with him as he backs away to the couch. “What are you doing?” she asks, he winks and pulls her closer, wrapping his arms around her. He kisses her, arms wrapped around her waist, he then falls backwards with her onto the couch, Sara screams a little as he chuckles. “I hate you so much” she scolds lightly, not at all meaning it. Bucky shrugs and turns them over, his fingers stroking along her jaw.

“Gross” Tony complains walking into the room. “If you're gonna dry hump, do it in your own rooms” he warns and then sees bacon, his entire face lighting up. “Bacon...oink, oink, oink” Bucky looks to Sara who sighs and shakes her head. Bucky gives her a quick kiss and then stands helping her to her feet.

“You should get some before Tony eats is all” Sara tells Bucky warmly. “I'm going to take a shower” she walks out the room, Bucky smiles to himself and bites his lip.

“Ooo she's sooo pretty” Tony teases watching him. “Makes you happy in your pants” Bucky drops his smile and turns to look at Tony who smirks.

“Shut up” Bucky growls.

…...........

“Hey, I see Sara's back” Steve tells Bucky as the former assassin sits next to him.

“Yep” Bucky smiles at his best friend. Like an idiot. “We're....going on a date tonight”

“That's great” Steve tells him sincerely.

“Steve” Bucky whispers.

“Yeah?”

“I have no idea what to wear, or where to go, or what the rules are?” Steve smirks a little. “Does it need to be fancy? Or is casual fine? Then a suit? Jeans and a button up? Flowers?....Steve, I don't know what to do” Steve grabs his friends shoulder and gives him a look.

“Buck...you used to take women out all the time....”

“None that mattered like this” Bucky admits. “This isn't someone I'm trying to impress to sleep with....this is Sara, it has to perfect”

“Alright, well...you can't go wrong with flowers” Steve offers. “Try and figure out her favourite...as for where and what to wear....we should talk to Tony”

….............

Sara raises an eyebrow as she opens her bottle of water. She opens her mouth to talk but nothing works, she frowns and closes her mouth. Steve looks to her and smirks.

“Wait, what's happening?” Sara finally asks as Tony grabs a pair of scissors from the kitchen draw and smirks testing them.

“Tony's cutting Bucky's hair” Steve answers.

“What? No” Sara scolds. “Why would you do that?” Tony raises an eyebrow.

“You like the long hair?” he asks her, Sara nods.

“Yeah, I do” she admits and snatches the scissors from Tony. “You're not cutting his hair....” she looks to Steve. “Is this about dinner?” she asks. “Cause...I don't need special...I like home comforts” she gives Steve a look and he nods back at her. Sara motions with the scissors at Tony and narrows her eyes before leaving the room again, Tony and Steve share a look.

….....................

Sara sits crossed legged on her bed opening her new cell phone box, her old one at her side. Fresh start. New phone. She looks to her old one as the screen lights up showing a picture of her and Dean together, in bed, one lazy afternoon during the year they lived together. She looks away and turns on her new cell phone.

“Thank you, Friday” she whispers to the AI.

“You're welcome, Miss Lance, would you like me to delete all data pertaining to Mr. Winchester?” Sara cocks her head.

“No” she answers. “Put it all in one file....titled....Dean” she adds standing from the bed and moving to her wardrobe. She has a date to get ready for.

...........................

Sara grabs her shoes as she leaves her bedroom and heads to the communal living room. Bucky stands waiting for her, back to her, not smart smart but not casual either. Black slack trousers, smart shoes, but a deep blue t shirt covered by a leather jacket. He's even pulled his hair back into a man bun. Sara smiles softly at the scene. He seems so relaxed. As if sensing her he turns and smiles seeing her, looks over her outfit. Cute. Sweet. Perfect. She raises an eyebrow at him.

“Do I look okay?” she asks.

“You look perfect” he answers moving to her and raising a hand between them, there between his fingers, is a single poppy.

“Bucky” she whispers sweetly taking it from him.

“I remember you talking about them....” he offers, she smiles and kisses his cheek before pulling back.

“Thank you” she tells him warmly, he offers her his arm and she takes it. “So where are we going?” she asks looking to him.

“It's a surprise” he answers as they head to the elevator. “But I think you'll like it” he offers.

…...............

Sara does like it, it's one of those old fashioned Italian places, with the red and white table clothes, wine bottle candle holders, cheesy Italian music, and she loves it. She looks to Bucky who smiles at her.

…..............

Bucky sits across from Sara, meals finished, wine finished, both smiling.

“Okay, so...” Bucky turns Sara's hand over in his. “The devil?” he asks, Sara smirks a little.

“Real” she answers. Bucky pulls a face and nods.

“So....does that mean God is real?” Bucky asks, Sara cocks her head.

“Yes” she answers, drawn out. “But not even the angels know where he is....”

“So come on, the suicidal teddy bear?” he asks raising an eyebrow at her.

“True” she assures him. “Now on Thursdays I'm a teddy bear doctor” she tells him and then laughs, he laughs with her.

“I cant even begin to imagine something like that” Bucky admits.

“Me neither, and I was there” she agrees, he smiles and shakes his head.

“I thought I had been through some...” he sighs and looks to her. “Terrible, crazy things, but you....” he offers. “Your life has been something else and you're so....light”

“It's not in my nature to be dark” she counters and then looks down. “Most of the time” Bucky squeezes her hand and then raises it to his lips.

“There's nothing dark in you” he assures her, she offers him a warm smile, but she's doubtful. She knows the darkness inside of her. “How about I get the check?” Bucky asks noting her change in mood, the shift in her eyes, she nods.

….............

Sara turns to face Bucky as they reach her bedroom door, she smiles at him.

“So as first dates go?” Bucky asks, she smiles at him.

“It was pretty near perfect” she answers.

“Near perfect?” he asks, she grabs his jacket and pulls him closer, she looks up at him before kissing him softly, she pulls back and smiles.

“Now it's perfect” she corrects, he smiles at her. “Good night, Bucky” she touches his chest and then enters her room, Bucky smiles like a dope at himself before walking away.

…..............

Bucky smiles lifting his arm as Sara sneaks into his bed, she snuggles into his side, he strokes her back as she closes her eyes.

“Thank you for tonight” she tells him softly. “It's the most fun I've had in a long while”

“So does this mean a second date is on the cards?” he asks teasing, she lifts her head from his shoulder.

“Third...fourth....probably more” she answers, he strokes her cheek and smiles. “I really do like you, Bucky...”

“I just have to patient, right?” he asks. “Broken hearts take time to mend...” he places his hand over her heart. “You're worth the wait, Sara....” he gives her a smile and a wink. She sets her head on his chest and smiles, curling closer to him. He wraps both arms around her and rests his head against hers. He's a cuddler, and she likes that, Dean was a sprawler, there were odd occasions he'd cuddle but still.....she likes to feel close to someone as she sleeps.

…..............

 


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

Sara wakes to her cell phone ringing, she blinks awake and turns her head to it, Bobby's name flashes on the screen, if it had been either Sam or Dean she might have ignored it, but Bobby is still her friend.

“Bobby?” Sara asks answering her cell phone, Bucky groans and curls around her.

“You seen the news today?” Bobby asks.

“No....why?” she asks back.

“You might want to, kid” Bobby answers. Sara grabs the tv remote from the bedside table and turns the tv on across from the bed, a new report opens.

“The two men, who up until today were presumed dead” The news reporter informs. “locked the doors and opened fire, leaving no survivors. Sam and Dean Winchester are now the subjects of a manhunt throughout the state of California” Bucky sits up and looks to Sara.

“Oh my God” Sara states. The security camera footage of Leviathan!Sam and Leviathan!Dean appears in the top right-hand corner of the screen. “Bobby” Sara states. “Tell me this is actually them”

“Of course it's not” Bobby tells her.

“And the leviathan you captured?” she asks.

“Not saying anything” Bobby answers. Sara sighs and brushes her hair back.

“I'm coming, this clearly shows that they have no idea what they are dealing with” Bucky sighs and lays back closing his eyes. “Whatever these monsters are.....you need more hands” she climbs out of bed and hangs up.

“What happened to not running off after your ex?” Bucky asks, Sara looks to him, he gives her a look.

“Bucky” she whispers. “This isn't just about him....Sam and Bobby are my friends, and these monsters....” Bucky shakes his head. “They're not like anything we've ever seen before” Bucky sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “If Dean wasn't involved, would you be okay with this?” she asks him, Bucky looks to her. “Do you not trust me at all?” she asks, he leans up again.

“It's not you I don't trust” he answers. “Sara, I know how incredible you are but I am worried about the day he realises it too, and he realises how much of a mistake he made breaking up with you”

“So what if he does” she argues. “Doesn't mean I am going to go back to him” Bucky looks to her. “I know this is new” she offers. “But I really want us to work....”

“I do too” he agrees. “I really do” he offers.

“But?” she asks.

“I don't want to share you with your ex” he answers. “No man would, Sara, it's unreasonable” she looks down and he sighs. “Go” he tells her weakly. “It's fine, just go”

“Bucky” she whispers.

“It's okay, Sara” he assures her. “This is who you are” he smiles at her sadly and shrugs. Sara sighs and then leaves the room, Bucky closes his eyes and lays back.

“Come with me” he opens his eyes to look at Sara, who's returned, stood in the doorway.

“What?” he asks.

“Come with me” she repeats. “If you're that worried, if you're that...territorial....come with me. I want you to see, that for me.....it's over”

..................

Sara's pulls up outside of the cabin and turns off the engine, Bucky stares at the cabin, it's not what he expected.

“What is this place?” Bucky asks as her and Sara climb out of the car.

“My cabin” she answers. “Used to belong to Howard” she closes the door and moves to the trunk. Bucky follows her.

“And you gave it to....them?” he asks, she sighs and looks to him.

“No, I'm letting them stay here....” she answers lifting the trunk lid, Bucky grabs the box of groceries from inside, Sara grabs her duffel and then closes the trunk. “It was sitting empty anyway.....” she locks the car heading to the door, Bucky sighs and follows her. Sara smiles seeing Bobby and moves to him, Bobby smiles back and accepts the hug she offers before she pulls back and looks at Bucky. “Bucky, this is Bobby Singer” she introduces, with a warm, kind smile, she really cares about this man, Bucky thinks as he holds out his hand to Bobby. “Bobby, this is Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes”

“Nice to meet you, Sergeant” Bobby greets.

“And you” Bucky counters and then holds up the groceries. “Where can I stick these?” he asks, Bobby motions to the kitchen, Bucky nods and heads over there, Bobby looks to Sara and raises an eyebrow.

“He seems....nice” Bobby offers. Sara nods agreeing. “Are you two?” Bobby asks raising an eyebrow.

“We're trying” Sara offers. “There are some issues.....”

“Dean” Bobby catches on. “Which, I guess, explains why he's here with you.....” Sara shrugs a little.

“Has your house guest said anything since you called?” she asks.

“Nope” Bobby answers. “And I can't find anything that makes it squirm” Bobby and Sara move to the kitchen where Bucky is unpacking the groceries. “Is he.....” Bobby nods to Bucky.

“Urm...yeah, he knows about....monsters” Sara answers. “After our run in with Death...kind of had to explain”

“Right” Bobby nods. Bucky sets a pack of beers in the fridge and turns back to them. “If you think you can get something out of him” Bobby tells Sara. “Be my guest” Sara nods a little.

“There's got to be something we have that does something to them.....they have to have a weakness”

“Maybe that's why God locked them in Purgatory” Bobby points out. Sara looks to him, Bobby shrugs a little. Sara looks to Bucky.

“You want to see it?” she asks, Bucky nods a little.

…..............

Bucky and Sara watch Chet who is chained to a chair. Bucky looks to Sara.

“It looks human” he points out.

“Most of them do” she informs. “It's what makes it so difficult to figure them out” she moves to the covered table set up and pulls the cloth from it revealing a table of weapons, and monster torture items. She picks up a serrated iron knife and turns it around in her hand and then holds it out to Bucky who rises an eyebrow at her. “I know you know how to torture....”

“That doesn't mean I like to” he counters, Sara shrugs and then turns the knife before stabbing Chet in the thigh, Bucky's eyes widen.

“It's not human, Bucky.....” she pulls the knife out, it's covered in black ooze. “It doesn't even bleed red blood” she holds up the knife, Bucky looks to Chet and then back to Sara, he then walks to the table of 'toys', Sara smiles turning to watch him.

…................

Later – Bucky is filling a syringe as Sara sits on one of the counters watching, this is more then just fun, this is teaching, she's teaching Bucky about the different ways to hurt a monster. They're just both enjoying this. Bucky jabs the syringe into Chet’s thigh.

“Hmm” Chet smacks his lips. “Okay. Similar finish to holy water, not as bitter as rock salt” Bucky and Sara share a look just before Sam and Dean come down the stairs. “And how are my two favorite meat-sicles?” Chet asks, Dean looks to Sara and then to Bucky.

“Hey” Dean greets trying to hide how much he's missed Sara, Sam rolls his eyes and moves to Bucky, the pair shake hands. Dean looks to Chet. “Is he still sucking air?”

“Greatest hits didn't do the trick” Bobby answers walking down the stairs to join them. “We're down to B-sides and deep cuts” he mumbles and Sara slides off the counter.

“Well, you better figure out something quick. That whammy that witch dude put on him is only gonna last for a few days. He gets his spinach back, we're gonna end up having to drop a car on him just to stop him” Dean counters.

“Actually... Edgar walked away from that car. He's fine. Well, he is a little pissed at you, but -- Oh. You didn't know?” Chet asks mockingly.

“Why don't you shut your damn trap?” Sara snaps and then punches him across the jaw.

“Ooh” Chet teases turning his head back to her.

“Bucky... You've been using all this stuff and he still won't talk?” Sam asks, Bucky shakes his head, Dean pulls up a stool and sits close to Chet.

“Huddle over, coach?” Chet teases.

“How'd you find us?” Dean asks.

“It was easy. I used pattern-recognition software and a basic heuristic algorithm to track your known aliases”

“Great. Just what we need -- a Mensa monster” Bobby grumbles. Dean gets up and walks over to stand near Sam and Bucky.

“All right. Let's just start with the start. Where'd you get our aliases?” Sam asks.

“From your trench-coated friend, obviously. When we were all nestled in at Camp Cas, kind of got the full download. That's just how we do”

“So why are you talking to us, Chet? You're not dumb. Why you spilling state secrets?” Sara asks.

“'Cause I'm not scared of you. You can't stop me. You can't stop any of us. We can't be killed, you stupid little chewtoys” Chet answers. The others share a look.

…..............

Upstairs Sara leans against the back of the sofa with Bucky, Dean crosses his arms over his chest beside Sam, they look to Bobby as he locks up the basement.

“Well, that settles it. We find these ass monkeys, and we kill them ourselves” Dean states.

“Wait a sec. Every form of law enforcement in the country has seen your ugly mugs this morning” Bobby argues.

“Exactly. So what's the point in trying to hide?” Dean asks.

“Better than sticking your fool neck out” Bobby answers.

“These things are smarter than you” Sara adds.

“Geez, Sara, don't sugarcoat it” Sam scolds slightly.

“You don't have a clue how to kill them or slow them down, and your plan is to, what? Go right at them? Genius” she counters.

“They're wearing our faces, Sara. This is personal” Dean argues back.

“Yeah, I'm with Dean here” Sam agrees, Sara sighs and pulls her cell phone from her pocket.

“Well, if you're gonna be stupid, you might as well be smart about it” She states with a sigh. “You need to see a guy named Frank Falsworth”

“Falsworth?” Bucky asks, she smiles.

“Grandson of James Montgomery Falsworth” she answers. “Howling Commando”

“Limey” Bucky remembers and then smiles, she touches his arm and smiles warmly back at him. Dean watches them, jaw tense, fingers digging into his arm. Sam shakes his head with a smirk.

“Who's Frank?” Sam asks.

“He's a jackass and a lunatic, but he owes me one, from back in Port Huron” Sara answers.

 


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

Sara holds out a slip of paper to Dean who takes it from her, he glances to Bucky who's watching them, studying them.

“So you and....gramps, huh?” he asks, Sara raises an eyebrow at him.

“What of it?” she asks back.

“Are you two.....” Dean clicks his tongue, Sara sighs and crosses her arms over her chest. “Well....are you?”

“Would it matter if we were?” she counter asks and then sighs again. “It's been four months, Dean, don't you think it's time we both moved on? So yes....me and Bucky are dating” she admits. “Not that it's any of your business. You broke up with me remember....” she motions to the slip of paper. “Be careful, Frank's not exactly....all there” she turns and walks to Bucky who smiles at her. Dean watches them a moment, the way he watches her, checking on her, making sure she's safe, even within the cabin. He can't really hate on that. If he can't protect her at least someone else can. Doesn't mean he has to like it either. Some other man touching the woman he loves. Bucky glances to him and then smirks, Dean turns away and looks to the slip of paper with Frank's address on.

…..............

Sara glances out the window as the Impala pulls out of the drive and heads away from the cabin.

“I believe you” Bucky tells Sara, stood behind her, she glances to him. He brushes her hair back and kisses her softly. She pulls back to set her head on his shoulder, he wraps his arm around her.

…..............

At a service station the Impala pulls up to the pumps and Dean and Sam get out.

“The usual?” Sam asks.

“Rhymes with sing-songs” Dean answers.

….............

Sam puts a box of “Bing Bongs” chocolate cupcakes with vanilla filling, two bottles of water and some other items on the counter.

“You guys sell protein bars?” Sam asks.

“Yeah” The Clerk takes a long look at Sam's face. “But it's in -- it's in the back, though. Just, uh, give me a second”

“Sure. Thanks” The Clerk takes out his cell phone as he walks to the back room. Sam sees security footage of himself and Dean playing on a television behind the counter.

…............

Sam walks out of the convenience store, Dean is filling the Impala.

“Pretty sure the cashier just made me. Drive” Dean replaces the pump and they leave, tires squealing.

…............

Sam and Dean drive up to an unlit house in the Impala and get out.

“You sure this is the right place?” Dean asks, Sam nods.

“Yeah” They go to the front door and Sam knocks. “Frank, you in there? Frank?” They open the door. “Frank?” Sam and Dean go inside and walk through the house in the dark. “Frank? Frank, anybody here? Hello? Anybody home?” Someone turns on a lamp. Sam and Dean turn to find Frank sitting in an armchair, pointing a gun at them.

“Well, well. Spider caught some flies” Frank states. “Well, I'll be darned. Psycho Butch and Sundance. You're on CNN right now”

“No, no, t-that's not us” Sam argues.

“I know. Can't be. Unless you had a teleporter. Do you have a teleporter?” Frank asks, Dean shakes his head.

“No, sir. We don't” Sam answers.

“Well, my condolences on the doppelgangers. Now, who sent you? NSA? The Feeb? March of Dimes?” Frank asks.

“Uh, Sara Lance sent us” Dean answers, Frank growls, gets to his feet and cocks his weapon. “Or not. Who?” Dean holds out his hands placatingly. “S-he said you could help. She said you owed him, from Port Huron” Dean offers. After a pause, Frank lowers his weapon.

“Girl saves your life one time, and, what, you owe her the rest of yours?” Frank asks.

“That's usually how it works, yeah” Dean answers. Frank points his weapon at Dean again, then lowers it while making an exasperated noise.

…..............

Sara shoots Chet with a shotgun.

“Whoo! Do it again! Come on, do it again!” Chet tells her, Sara puts the gun down. “So you're just gonna touch me in the morning, then just walk away?”

“Are you still talking?” Sara asks.

“Aren't you sick of this yet?” Chet asks her.

“You bleed. Black...snot, sure, but you....kind of bleed, which means you can die”

“Sure, beautiful, whatever you say. Try the acid again, why don't you? Poor sweetheart. You're stumped”

“Give it a rest, already” Sara complains.

“How long you think these'll hold once the spell wears off, hmm? Tick tock, beautiful. I'm gonna really enjoy eating you”

“I said shut up” Sara snaps.

“And then I'm gonna eat everyone you ever said hello to” Sara picks up a machete and cuts off Chet’s head. She looks to the machete and then to Chet's head.

“Well, that's somethin'” she states.

“You chopped his head off?” Bucky asks behind her, she looks to him and smiles.

“Yeah” she answers. Bucky cocks his head.

“Okay” he offers. “Kinda hot” he steps closer and grabs her wrist holding the machete and pulls her closer, she smirks and looks up at him. He kisses her.

…............

Frank tosses passports and ID in the names of Thomas and John Smith into a cigar box that Dean is holding. He hands Sam a map.

“I marked all the towns your stunt doubles hit so you can see the pattern” Frank offers.

“All right, great. Um, so, what is the pattern?” Sam asks.

“No clue, man. I can't see it”

“Seems random” Sam points out.

“Little tip from a pro -- there is no such thing as a random series of robbery murders by your evil twins” Frank admits. “Well, have yourself some uppers and look at that some more” Frank pats Sam on the shoulder. “Good luck”

“Thanks, Frank”

“For what? Sending you to your death? Your doubles want to be on candid camera, put you in the line of fire. Now, I'd lay low, 'cause I love life and its infinite mysteries. But you two want to be dumb, that's fine. At least have the common sense to ditch your car”

“Wh -- uh, excuse me – what?” Dean asks.

“Your doublemints -- they're using a car just like the one outside” Frank answers.

….............

Sara and Bucky sit on the sofa watching tv as Bobby sits at the table behind them, he glances to them as Bucky whispers something to Sara and she bursts into laughter, Bobby smiles and shakes his head a little. He never agreed with the split between her and Dean but he does want her to be happy. And so far this new guy is working. Bucky stands.

“I'll check on our....friend” he states and then heads towards the basement.

…..............

Bucky walks downstairs and turns on a light. Chet’s head has reattached to his body.

“Did you think it would be that easy?” Chet asks.

“No. But it's a start” Bucky picks up the machete.

“Ugh” Bucky cuts off Chet’s head again.

…...............

A yellow My Little Pony is dangling from the rear-vision mirror. Dean squeezes it and it squeaks. He takes out a knife, cuts it down and tosses it into the back seat. It squeaks again as it lands.

“You okay?” Sam asks.

“You know, it's bad enough that they're ganking people, wearing our mugs, but now this? Have us driving around in this... this caboodle while Baby's on lockdown”

“It's temporary, Dean”

“Nobody puts Baby in a corner”

“Y-you know that's a line from...”

“Swayze movie. Swayze always gets a pass!”

“Right. Uh, well, you want some tunes or something? Here” Sam turns on the car radio. Air Supply’s “All Out Of Love” is playing. Sam looks at Dean. “Sorry, man, I-I...”

“Just leave it. Probably gonna be the only thing on” Sam looks at the map Frank gave him and Dean starts to lip-sync along to the music. Sam looks over at Dean, Dean notices that Sam is watching him and stops singing. Dean looks away out the driver’s side window and starts to lip-sync again. Sam looks at him and he stops again. Dean moves his head in time with the music.

“Here” Sam switches off the radio and they sit in silence. Sam studies the map. Jericho is circled. “Dean”

“What?”

“Jericho -- the lady in white” Black Water Ridge is circled on the map. “Blackwater -- wendigo. Lake Manitoc -- the kid in the lake”

“They're hitting towns we've worked jobs in”

“In order. Since the day I left Stanford with you”

“So, what, they want us to find them?”

“Well, one way to find out -- next case would be in...St. Louis”

“Perfect. Connor's Diner. Best burgers in St. Louis. Oh, I deserve something good in my life right now” Dean counters.

…..............

The hatchback is driving down the road.

…..............

Later Sam is holding a cell phone that is set to speaker.

“Choppin' their heads off won't kill 'em, but it'll slow 'em down pretty good. Till they fuse back up, anyhow” Bucky complains, Dean makes a mocking face, mock talking along with Bucky, Sam shoots him a look.

“Well, that's something, I guess. I mean, assuming we can even get close to them” Sam counters

“Believe me, I don't want you walking right up to them, either” Sara adds. “I'm still looking for something you can shoot at them, or throw at them...”

“Good times. All right, thanks, Sara”

….................

Sara is making sandwiches in the kitchen.

“Hey, you take mayo, right, Bucky?” she asks looking to him, he smiles and nods. “Where are you boys off to next?” she asks.

“Uh, St. Louis. That's where we..”

“It's too late” Bucky interrupts looking at the laptop screen. “They hit St. Louis. Pumpkin-and-Honeybunny'd a diner there”

“Connor's Diner?” Dean asks.

“Yeah. How'd you know?” Bucky asks.

“Lucky guess. All right, so much for that” Dean mumbles.

“Bucky, will you get the pie out of the fridge?” Sara asks pointing to the fridge. In the car Dean looks to Sam and makes a betrayed face.

“I guess we're off to, uh... to Ankeny, Iowa. Call us if you get anything else” Sam asks of them.

“You got it” Bucky states.

“Of course” Sara adds. Sam hangs up.

“Don't” Sam warns Dean who tightens his hold on the wheel.

“She baked him pie” he complains. “She....baked another man pie?” he asks looking to Sam who sighs and looks back to the map.

….............

Sara is preparing to electrocute Chet.

“Ooh” Sara touches the skin of Chet’s arm with her own as she attaches jumper cables to Chet’s chains. “Does this skin make me look fat?” Chet has transformed into a doppelganger of Sara.

“Oh hell” she breaths stepping back. “Not again”

“It's pretty dark in here” Chet states. “Such darkness buried within you, so...angry....and lonely. Oh. You and Dear Old Dad. Now, that's a can of scorpions. Oh, Sara. You are 10 pounds of sad in a 5-pound bag” he tells her mockingly.

…..............

Dean and Sam are walking along the street as a black Impala passes them.

“Sam, Sam. Hold up. Don't move. Don't move” Dean pulls Sam to a stop. The Impala, which contains Leviathan!Dean and Leviathan!Sam, does a U-turn and parks on the other side of the street. Leviathan!Dean and Leviathan!Sam get out.

“Oh, no. This is all sorts of wrong”

“Those are nice wheels. Tell you what, when this is over, I'm stealing those rims” Dean takes out his phone and makes a call.

…...............

Chet is still chained to the chair in Sara's form, Sara's cell phone rings and she pulls it from her pocket.

“Tell the kids I said hi”

“Yeah?” Sara answers.

“Sara, we got eyes on them” Dean tells her.

“What?”

“It's like looking at a funhouse mirror” Sara glances to Chet.

“Yeah, I know the feeling”

“All right, well, tell me you got something. Otherwise, we're gonna have to get in close”

…..........

Dean and Sam walk along the street closer to where the Impala is parked on the other side.

“Look, just hang back for now” Sara answers.

“It's too late. We gotta...” A police car pulls up, siren going. “Hang on” A sheriff and another officer get out of the police car and the sheriff points a gun at Dean.

“Hands in the air!” Another siren blares.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa” A second police car pulls up. “Big misunderstanding” The deputies from the second vehicle are now pointing their guns at Dean and Sam from behind them. “Look, the guys you want...”

“Shut up!”

“They're right there”

“Shut up! Drop the phone. Put your hands in the air”

“Dean?” Sara asks over the phone. Dean puts the phone down. “Dean!”

“Cuff ’em” The deputies behind Dean and Sam put them in handcuffs. Dean looks at Leviathan!Dean, who is back in the driver’s seat of the Impala. Leviathan!Dean winks.

…................

Chet is still chained to the chair in Sara's form. Sara is pacing the room with a book.

“You know the thing about you, Sara...”

“Save it. I already know me”

“You got the uber happy thing down, but you've seen more death than an electric chair. Ready to die with your boots on. But, you know, deep down inside... you're no cynic. You still hope. You even got a thing for that assassin upstairs. Tiny part of you thinks, maybe... after this is all done, you and Mr Soviet can make your own little cabin in the woods” Sara closes the book and puts it down. Chet laughs. “That's hilarious. You're both so broken beyond repair. Why do you bother?” Sara picks up the machete.

“You a Browning fan?” she asks.

“Come again?”

“Robert Browning. Poet. You got that name rattling around up there with the rest of my thoughts and feelings?” she asks.

“It's kind of hard to sift through all the violent angry blackouts, but...”

“"A man's reach should exceed his grasp."” Sara states.

“I like that. That's actually lovely. Browning? After I eat you, I'm definitely gonna hit the library” Sara raises the machete. A several drops of a liquid fall from the ceiling onto Chet’s arm and burn his skin. “What the hell is that?” The skin on Chet’s arm turns yellow, then black, and black steam rises. Another drop falls and Chet’s arm continues to burn. “Get it off. Get it off! Get it off!” Another drop falls. “Get it off of me!” Another drop falls. Chet’s face is now also burning and a large patch on his arm is black. “Aaargh! Get it off me!”

….........

Bucky is on his knees wringing out a cloth into a bucket. He sees Sara and gets up.

“Sorry, spilt my drink” he apologises. Sara grabs his face in both hands and kisses him before pulling back. “Mm! Okay, wasn't expecting that reaction”

“What the hell was in that bucket?” she asks smiling at him.

…..............

Sara is leaning over Chet’s headless, burned body, which is still chained to the chair. Bucky makes a face leaning against the counter. Sara's phone rings. Sara picks it up to answer.

“Boys?” she asks.

“Sara, we got popped” Dean tells her.

“Okay. Bobby'll be there as soon as...”

“No, no, there's no time. Look, we saw them...They saw us. So, we are coming to get us. You read me? Tell me you got something”

“There's a chemical...” Sara looks to a bottle of “Power Clean” containing Borax. “Sodium borate”

“Okay, let me get Mr. Wizard on speed dial”

“No, no, it's not as weird as it sounds” Sara counters. “It's found in industrial cleaners and soaps and laundry powder. Just look for anything with the word Borax on it”

“You want me to "Desperate Housewife" these mothers?”

“No, just trust me. It burns them bad enough to slow them down. So get the strongest you can find. Hear me?”

“Borax. Burns. Got it”

“Then douse them...then get close, and then chop the heads off” Bucky puts Chet’s head into a cardboard box.

“Got it”

“And keep the heads separate!” She adds.

“Sara, you're a genius. I love you.....” Bucky looks to Sara who glances to him. “Thanks. I...” the phone is abruptly hung up, Sara looks to it and then sets it on the side.

 


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

Bobby stands watching a news report on the tv which explains an event in which, of course, Sam and Dean were part of.

“The Winchester crime spree has come to a violent end in Iowa, where they were gunned down” the reporter states, Bobby turns off the television and turns to Sara as she pulls on her jacket.

“That should take the heat off” she tells him.

“For now. Thanks, Sara. Couldn't have done it without you” Bobby tells her warmly and then looks to Bucky who walks up from the basement carrying a cardboard box. “Either of you”

“Anytime you need me to spill something else, you give me a call” Bucky teases lightly, Bobby smirks and then points to the box.

“Probably best you don't open it”

“Even if it starts talking?” Sara teases, Bobby snorts.

“Especially if it starts talking” he answers.

“Maybe we can give it to Thor” Bucky states. “Have him drop it in a black hole?”

“Not a bad idea” Sara offers with a fond smile.

“I'll put him in the car” Bucky tells her with his own dopey smile before leaving.

“I like him” Bobby admits looking to Sara. “Former brainwashed assassin aside. And you seem happy”

“I am” she assures him. “Bucky is good to me, kind, loving, warm....he makes me laugh and....I get this feeling in my chest when he smiles at me....” Bobby smiles warmly at her. She takes a deep breath. “It's time I moved on” she admits. “And I want to do that with Bucky. But I don't think it's going to work if I keep.....” she sighs. “I need to cut Dean out of my life, Bucky will tell me it's unnecessary, that he can cope but he shouldn't have to, he deserves my full attention” Bobby nods, understands, in fact he would have told her the same thing. “I can't give Bucky less then what I gave Dean” Bobby moves to her and pulls her into a hug, Sara smiles and hugs him back.

“Take care of yourself” he whispers to her. “Stay safe....make sure he looks after you” he pulls back and smiles at her.

“Thank you” she tells him warmly and then leaves, Bobby smiles and shakes his head.

...............

Bucky looks to Sara as she reaches him, she smiles warmly and pulls him closer to kiss him. He smiles against her lips and threads his fingers through her hair as he holds her closer to him. She pulls back and touches his chest.

“Let's go home” she whispers, he nods and kisses her softly again before pulling back. They both climb into the car before Sara drives them away from the cabin.

….....

Dean opens the trunk of the hatchback, in which is a canvas bag and the My Little Pony. He unzips the bag, which contains the two Leviathan heads wrapped in plastic. Dean sighs.

“Are you sure you want to dump these things? I'm thinking they might actually come in handy down the road. What do you think?” he asks looking to Sam, who is leaning with his arms on the roof of the hatchback, doesn’t reply. “Hey. What? What is it? Talk”

“Nothing”

“Well, that's convincing. Did monster-us give you the jeebs, huh? 'Cause I gotta be honest – I ain't looking in the mirror for – for a while myself” Sam straightens up and turns to face Dean.

“Okay. You really want to know what's wrong?” Sam asks.

“Yeah. Yeah, you know my – here to help”

“"Here to help." Kind of like you helped Amy?” Sam asks, Dean looks surprised.

“Listen, Sam...”

“Don't – don't lie to me again. No, don't even talk to me. Yeah, I can't” Sam opens the rear passenger door of the hatchback and takes something out. “You know what, Dean?” Sam starts to walk away. “I can't” Dean takes a few steps towards Sam.

“You can't what?”

“I can't talk to you right now! Dean...” Sam turns to face Dean. He is carrying two bags. “I can't even be around you right now!”

“Okay, so...”

“I think you should just go on without me” There is a long pause. Dean nods. “Go”

“All right. Sorry, Sam” Dean turns back to the car and Sam walks away.

…................

Bucky groans falling onto his own bed, that cabin bed is no where near this comfy, Sara chuckles wiggling out of her jeans and pulling her shirt over her head, Bucky turns his head to watch her. He's never found scars so attractive before. She grabs one of his shirts and pulls it over her head, he turns over and sighs.

“Thank you” he tells her, she looks to him and raises an eyebrow at him. “For taking me with you” he scoots up the bed and pushes his jeans down over his hips and legs before kicking them aside before he slides under the blanket. “It was....weird but nice, to see what you do” he offers, she smiles at him as she pulls her hair up into a bun.

“Weird” she repeats smirking. “That's one word for it all” he smirks back at her. “Where did you put the head?” she asks climbing into bed.

“Hmm in the vault” he answers turning over and curling around her back, his fingers threading with hers on her stomach. “Between that weird giant spider egg Banner is studying and that chunk of humming space rock Thor put in there” he nuzzles into her neck and smiles. Sara smiles warmly to herself. This is the right choice, being here with Bucky.

….............

“How was that thing with Sara?” Wilson asks getting comfy in his therapy throne. Bucky smiles and nods.

“It was....interesting” he admits. “Actually it was great. The most relaxed I've felt in months, even with her ex around” Sam nods.

“Alright, why?”

“Sara” Bucky answers. “She's....she has this effect. When you think that since she moved into the tower, since we met.....I've had one episode, compared to the months before where it was nearly every other day....”

“We've noticed” Sam tells him. “Sara is actually good for you....she takes your mind off of everything else....gives you something to focus on” Bucky nods. “So...me and Steve, we've actually been talking about your relationship with her” Bucky raises an eyebrow. “Steve is pretty sure he knows that answer to this question, but.....have you and Sara had....sex yet?” Bucky tightens his jaw and looks away before swallowing harshly.

“No” he admits. “And it's not because I don't....want to” he offers. “Honestly, I am afraid” Bucky looks to Sam. “It's going to sound ridiculous” he admits.

“You know I'm not here to judge you, Bucky” Sam assures him. “I'm here to help you, and I know we didn't get off on the best foot....but I honestly want you and Sara to work” Bucky looks down and sighs.

“I haven't removed my shirt in front of her” He admits and touches his metal hand. “It's....not pretty around the join with my arm..... And Sara....”

“Will understand” Sam tells him. “She's not a vain person, Bucky, she understands about the life we live, I know she has her own scars” Bucky frowns at him. “We sparred a few weeks ago, she has a bite on her shoulder” Sam motions to his own arm. “Did it bother you?” Sam asks Bucky. “When you saw it?”

“No” Bucky answers.

“Then why would your arm bother her?” Sam counters. “If she cares like I know she does, then she will accept it as part of you”

“You're sappy” Bucky teases. “But.....” he sighs softly. “I agree....”

“So that's the next step then....” Sam smirks at him. “You and Sara getting your OAP rocks off” Bucky shoots him an annoyed look. “You want help?” Sam asks, Bucky pulls a face.

“No” He argues.

“I don't mean in the mechanics” Sam assures Bucky. “I mean...in planning”

“No” Bucky sighs. “I think....with me and Sara, it's going to be....spontaneous” he admits.

...................

Bucky looks to Sara sleeping in his bed, in his shirt, and he smiles leaning against the dresser. She's beautiful, and perfect and sweet. And he...honestly believes he doesn't deserve her. After everything he's done. He really doesn't deserve her.

“Come to bed” she begs sleepily, half awake. She turns to look at him.

“In a minute” he counters softly. “I just want to watch you some more” he admits, she smiles a little and curls back onto her side.

“It's creepy” she points out.

“Endearing” he argues with a small chuckle before pushing himself and climbing into bed with her. She snuggles into his chest and takes his metal hand with hers, his human hand wrapping around her waist to stroke her back. She sighs contently and he smiles a little.

…............

Steve jumps as he wakes to Bucky sat next to him, again.

“What the hell!?” Steve scolds jerking up in bed. “Bucky” Bucky looks to him. “Really? Again?” he scolds.

“I couldn't sleep” Bucky tells him.

“Why?” Steve asks siting up.

“Because Sam has me freakin' out” Bucky complains. “I was fine, okay, I was actually feeling good about the next step in my relationship with Sara, but now....” Steve tries to hide his smirk, his once confident friend is actually freaking out over a girl, and it shouldn't make him happy, but it does. “He planted doubt, he's a doubt planter” Bucky points out. “We should kick him out”

“We're not kicking Sam out” Steve scolds lightly. “What specifically are you worried about?” Steve asks, Bucky clenches his fingers and shrugs.

“All of it” he admits. “I wasn't....celibate with Hydra” Bucky offers. “But it's been a long time since it's been....meaningful. Plus I'm....stronger now, and I know Sara's enhanced but...what if I still hurt her, I know I can, I've done it before, plus I am covered in scars, and I have a metal arm, and things have changed in the last 70 years and Sara.....” Bucky sighs. “Sara is perfect” he admits. “And I'm broken”

“We're all a little broken, Buck” Steve corrects. “Even Sara” Bucky sighs, Steve leans back against the headboard. “Maybe it will help if you just....do it” Bucky shoots him a look. “Stop thinking about, stop freakin' yourself up over this and just....go and do it”

“Great pep talk, Cap” Bucky tells him flatly. “Go and do it” he mocks. “If it was that easy, I would have already done it” he sighs. “We kiss and it's great, but the second I feel it going...further....I freak out and she...takes it like a trooper but I can't expect her to wait forever. A normal relationship” he sighs. “It would have progressed.....even just....a little bit”

“This isn't a normal relationship, Buck, you and Sara....neither of you are normal, normal rules are out the window....you two need to work this out together. Go at your own pace.....talk to her, this is Sara, she'll understand” Steve looks to Bucky. “Now can I go back to bed?” he asks, Bucky nods and stands before leaving, Steve sighs and collapses onto his bed.

…...............

Bucky climbs back into bed with Sara, she instinctively curls into his chest, he smiles and wraps his arms around her.

…..............

Bucky leans against the wall watching Sara sat on the floor of the living area, back to the sofa, a tablet in hand.

“Hey” he greets, Sara looks to him and smiles back at him, a smile full of love and affection, and it aches a little.

“Hey” she greets back softly.

“What are you doing?” he asks moving to sit next to her.

“Natasha asked me to look over some files” Sara answers looking to the tablet in her hand, Bucky brushes her hair back over her shoulder, she smiles as he nuzzles into her neck. Sara closes her eyes and sighs softly. He shifts closer to her setting his hand on her leg. “Bucky” she whispers turning her head to him, he takes the tablet from her and sets it aside before shifting closer to her, his hand finding her neck, he pulls her closer and kisses her.

“Sara....” he whispers pulling back. “We should....talk” he offers, she frowns at him.

“About what?” she asks carefully.

“About us....about the next....” he takes a breath. “Step” she raises an eyebrow, he clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck.

“Bucky, you can talk to me” she assures him.

“I know” he strokes her cheek. “It's....delicate, that's all” he drops his hand and then nods to himself. “I want us to....” he looks to her. “Be together”

“We are together” she argues.

“Physically” he adds.

“Oh” she breaths and looks down.

“I just...I have one issue....well a few, but let's start with the big one” he mumbles nervously. “I have an issue with my arm” he admits. “Specifically....the join at my shoulder” he touches his arm.

“Is that why you haven't taken your shirt off in front of me?” she asks, he nods.

“It's.....I hate it” he tells her looking down, Sara touches his human arm and he looks to her.

“Show me” she whispers, he gives her a look. “It's okay, show me” he sighs and stands pulling her up with him. He takes a deep breath and then pulls his shirt over his head. Sara's fingers dance over the scar, the jagged, rough scar at the join of his arm. Bucky grabs her wrist with his human one and gives her a sad look. She raises her free hand and removes his hand from her wrist.

“Sara” he whispers, she places his hand on her waist before turning back to his shoulder where her fingers resume their movement along the scar. And despite the fact he hates the scar, her hands on him feel pretty damn great.

“It's a map” she whispers back tracing the scar, Bucky looks down at her. “Of your life” she tilts her head up towards him. “The good, the bad....the ugly” she offers him a small smile. “You shouldn't be ashamed of them, Bucky” he strokes her cheek. “They reminders that you went through hell....and you survived” he clasps her face in his hands and kisses her.

 


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

Bucky nuzzles into Sara's neck as she strokes his hair, neither needing to say a thing, or to move. This is his favourite place in the world. Naked and curled up with the woman he utterly adores in his arms, both feeling satisfied and warm. The elevator pings behind them followed by soft footsteps.

“Oh for the love of!!” Tony shouts. “Who's bare ass is that?!” Sara looks to Tony as Bucky sighs into her neck. Tony is staring at them, eyes wide and....disgusted.

“Tony!” Sara snaps as Bucky pulls his shirt over Sara's chest.

“Sara?!” Tony asks. “Oh God, this is not happening” he grumbles. “You both have your own rooms why are you banging on the couch?!” he snaps turning away. “Sara, clothes” she rolls her eyes and sighs, Bucky sits up and she sits up with him pulling on Bucky's shirt.

“Tony...” Sara starts.

“So is this a thing now?” Tony asks. “You two....”

“You know me and Bucky have been....”

“I've been ignoring it, part of me was kinda hoping you'd pick Dean over Bucky.....I mean at least he didn't kill our parents”

“Tony” Sara scolds as Bucky looks down.

“I'm sorry, but seriously, Sara, any sane person would run away from the person that destroyed their family, not crawl into bed with him”

“Tony!” Sara snaps giving him a look, Bucky clears his throat.

“I'll...go elsewhere” he mumbles collecting his clothing, he glances to Sara who looks back at him sadly before he leaves, Sara sighs and closes her eyes and then stands.

“Pants, Barbie” Tony scolds, she shoots him a look as she moves towards him.

“Do you not care about any one else's feelings at all?” Sara asks Tony sadly. “You see someone happy and you have to meddle in it?”

“Sara” Tony whispers.

“I have forgiven a lot” she tells him. “And bitten my tongue.....and I'm not asking you to understand, I'm asking you to accept that he makes me happy....and if you can't do that” she shakes her head. “Right now, I'll choose him, because...he is at least willing to put the past behind him...and doesn't take every opportunity to bring it up and use it as a....insult. You and me, we're not clean in this life either” she walks away and Tony hangs his head.

…...........

“Bucky?” Sara asks stepping into his room, Bucky looks to her from where he paces against the far wall.

“He's right” Bucky tells her, she shakes her head. “You shouldn't be anywhere near me. I'm dangerous”

“I don't care” she admits, he looks down. “Bucky, did you think that I didn't know?” he shrugs and fidgets with his hands. She moves closer to him. He steps away. “Bucky” she whispers. “I've known since Tony found out” he looks to her. “I forgave you”

“But I took....”

“I know” she whispers cupping his cheek. “And I loved them” he looks to her sadly. “But....” she searches his eyes before smiling. “I think I could love you too” he raises a hand up to brush her hair back. “And I'm the sort of person to let past events trouble her future ones” he kisses her. “What's done is done, and it can't be undone, you can't take back what you did and I can't bring my parents back” she strokes his cheek. “I've never met anyone like you and I think I could be happier with you then I've ever been.....Tony is not right, not on this” he kisses her softly, and pulls her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her waist and back. She pulls back and smiles at him. “I love you” she whispers. “All of you”

“You're too good for me” he whispers with a soft, sad smile.

“Well too bad” she counters with her own warm smile. “You're stuck with me”

“I can live with that” he whispers she leans up and kisses him softly. It become heated quickly. He pulls back and bites his lip before nudging her nose. She chuckles and grabs his hand pulling him backwards with her as she moves to his bed.

…..................

Bucky strokes along Sara's bare spine as she watches him, laying on her front in his bed. He smirks a little and lifts his eyes to hers.

“Now do I get to call you my girlfriend?” he asks, she smirks and nods a little.

“But try saying it so you don't sound 14 years old” he laughs and leans down to nuzzle into her neck.

“I'll try” he promises, she smiles at him as he sets his hand on the small of her back. “Oh....” he smiles lifting his head. “I love you too” he whispers softly pulling her closer to him. Sara smiles threading her fingers with his metal ones on his stomach and curls into his side. Perfectly slotted against him. “We should get up for dinner” he tells her stroking her hair, pulling his fingers through the blonde locks.

“No” she argues a little. “I don't want to see Tony just yet”

“You can't stay mad at him, Sara, he's your brother” he counters, she lifts her head to him. “I know what he said....And...yes, it upset you, but he's only trying to protect you”

“Bucky, I am 60 years old.....and Tony is my baby brother...” he chuckles and shrugs.

“Still your brother, still wants to protect his big sister.....and come on” he shakes his head. “He's never going to like me, we've too much history, far too much....but I know how important he is to you, and he will see it too, just give him time to adjust” she smiles warmly at him and sets her chin on his chest. “What's that smile for?” he asks, she shrugs a little.

“I'm happy, I'm allowed to smile” she answers warmly. He strokes her side and smiles back.

…...................

Tony takes a breath standing in the doorway to the living room, Sara sits watching tv, alone, he looks around to make sure she is actually alone before walking into the room, towards her, he sets a mug of tea on the coffee table for her, Sara who glances up at him.

“I'm sorry” he tells her, she looks away. “Sara, you're my sister and I love you, but that man...”

“If you are here to point out the obvious again, you can leave” she argues pulling a knee to her chest. “I can't talk to you about this”

“I want you to be happy” Tony whispers, she shakes her head.

“Do you?” she asks looking back to him. “No one I date is ever good enough, no man, no woman, they just....there was always something wrong with them”

“Because you...” Tony sighs. “Sara....I'm your brother, I'm supposed to look out for you, I'm supposed to vet who you date, and no, no one will ever be good enough for you....not Dean, not Bucky....no one. That's my job” she shakes her head and smiles softly.

“You have to let me make my own mistakes, to date who I want, to love who I want.....to learn for myself. Howard, he 'protected' me from everything for the first 30 years of my life, and I was....hopelessly unprepared for the real world....you have to let me do this myself” he sits at her side and nods a little. He sighs and looks to her.

“It's always been me and you” he reminds her. “But these last few years, I've felt like I'm loosing you” he tells her, she smiles and shakes her head at him.

“Tony, you will always be my little brother, no man or women will ever change that it'll always be you I run to when in pain, or sick, or upset, okay?” he nods and leans against her side, she smiles and leans back.

 

 


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven

Bucky groans as Sara's cell phone rings on the bedside table, he nudges her with his foot and she shifts against him but does not wake. He nuzzles into her neck and runs his hand down her waist.

“Sara” he whispers. “Doll” he pulls her closer. “Your phone” he complains. She reaches out blindly and snatches the phone from the table before pulling it closer to look at it. She sighs and turns slightly to face him.

“It's from Bobby” she tells him, he raises an eyebrow and kisses her shoulder.

“Let me guess” he starts. “They need your help again” she hums a little.

“Sam got married” she states, he lifts his head surprised and looks down at her.

“He got married?” he asks, she nods.

“They think something else is going on”

“Well, yeah, I would too” Bucky turns onto his back. “We only saw him, what? Two weeks ago?” she nods and sighs. “Go” he tells her turning to look at her. “This is about Sam....and he's your friend” she looks to Bucky. “And I'm not worried” he admits, she raises an eyebrow at him.

“No?” she asks.

“Nope” he agrees and smiles at her. “I'm not worried” he repeats softly. “I trust you” she sets her phone aside and turns to straddle his waist, his hands find her waist and she leans closer to kiss him. “I love you” he whispers as she pulls back. “I'll be here when you get back” he strokes her cheek, she looks to him warmly. “And we'll go out, dinner, dancing.....making out” she pinches his chest as he laughs, she rolls off of him and chuckles herself before she climbs out of bed. “Hey” he starts, she glances to him. “Don't look too good, I know it's hard but....let's not tempt fate” she smirks.

“Fate?” she asks. “Or Dean?” he huffs and shoots her a look. “I thought you weren't worried” she teases, he throws a pillow at her and she laughs dodging it. She turns back to him and finds him stood in front of her. “Buck” she warns, he smirks at her and grabs her waist, she slaps weakly at his chest as he pulls her closer.

“Don't” he whispers. “I'm just....”

“I know” she assures him. “I'm not going anywhere” she places her hand over his heart, he nudges her nose and kisses her softly.

….................

Sara taps the heel of her boot on the leg of her chair, her nails drawing on the side of her glass of scotch, it's been months since she's been alone with Dean, and it's setting the nervous off inside of her. She can feel him before she hears or sees him. A warmth down one side of her body that she knows is his presence.

“You're who Bobby called” Dean complains standing behind the chair in front of hair, Sara lifts her eyes to his. He sighs. “Of course you are” he whispers pulling out the chair to sits across from her. “I assume Bobby filled you in on the road” she shakes her head.

“Not really” she admits. “He told me Sammy is married” Dean nods.

“To Becky” he tells her, she cocks her head and gives him a look. “Yeah, that Becky....”

“Wow” she breaths a little. “Congratulations, I guess” she whispers, he snorts. “Bobby, he just said you could do with an extra pair of hands” Dean sighs a little and nods, he sets a newspaper on the table.

“I....well.....Think I found a case. Check the headline” Sara picks up the newspaper and looks at the article.

…..........

At the Mutual Freedom Insurance offices, Dean and Sara are sitting on a sofa in front of the desk. Dean looks to Sara as she brushes fluff from her jeans.

“So how are things?” he asks, she looks to him. “With....Bucky?” he elaborates.

“Good” she answers looking away. “Things are good, quiet...peaceful”

“Good” he whispers as, Marsha, the CEO's wife moves to stand next to a secretary's desk. “That's good” he adds and looks to her, looks over her, he hates to admit it but.....she looks better now, less tense though that's been creeping back in since the bar. Maybe it's him. He looks away and sighs as Marsha starts to yell at her secretary.

“Are you trying to humiliate me? It's Marsha with an "s-h-a," not a "c-i-a"” Marsha walks away. Sam and Becky leave the office behind the Secretary’s desk. Becky is taking notes. Sam looks to the secretary.

“Thanks again” Sara smiles and stands moving towards them.

“Sam” she greets, Sam turns and smiles.

“Sara” he greets back pulling her into a hug, she smiles and she hugs him back. “Urh, what are you doing here?” Sam asks pulling back from her.

“Oh you know” she looks to Dean and then back to Sam. “Extra pairs of hands” Sam nods and touches her cheek. “Hey, I hear you got married, that's great” she tells Sam and turns to Becky. “Hello, Becky” she greets, Becky smiles and waves, Sara she likes. “Congratulations”

“Thank you” Becky tells her. Dean walks over to Sara, Sam and Becky.

“Hi” Becky makes an unfriendly face at Dean and walks away. “Okay. So...”

“So, uh, no point in going in. Guy's clean” Sam tells them.

“You sure?” Dean asks.

“Yeah. Positive. Becky grilled him like a pro. She's a real natural”

“Huh” Dean mumbles and looks to Sara who sighs.

…...................

Sara and Dean sit on one side of the desk as the CEO sits on the other, Sara crosses one leg over the other.

“Throw a rock, hit a reporter these days, eh?” The CEO teases.

“Well, your story's a big deal over at the, uh, the Actuarial Insider” Dean answers with a smile.

“Go ahead. Shoot”

“All right. Uh... how'd you get the gig?” Dean asks.

“Board came to me, asked. Said yes”

“Just out of the blue?” Sara asks.

“Pretty much”

“Huh. And, uh, any idea how the board landed on you over your supervisors?” Dean asks.

“Um, they didn't say”

“Could you tell us what specifically excited the board about your actual qualifications?” Sara glances around the room whilst Dean asks the questions.

“Say, guys, what's with the third degree?” The CEO asks, Sara looks to him.

“Why don't you tell us what it felt like when your big dream came true?” she asks him softly.

“Look, on the record, it's great”

“And off the record?”

“It's not my big dream”

“Wait. You didn't want this job?” Dean asks him.

“Hell, no. I'm a sales Guy. I was good in sales” Marsha appears in the doorway.

“Your secretary's an idiot. I'll be at the printers this afternoon” She tells her husband.

“All right, dear. See you at dinner”

“Just have the idiot make a reservation. Here's a tip – remind her she works for the CEO. One more screw-up, she's fired” Marsha leaves the room.

“Your, uh, wife seems pretty excited about the promotion, don't she?” Sara asks.

“Honestly, I've never seen her happier. I have no idea how I'm gonna tell her I have to resign. The news is just gonna....”

“Kill her?” Dean asks sharing a look with Sara.

…...........

“Mrs. Burrows?” Sara asks catching up with Marsha. “Hi” Marsha looks to her.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, we're, uh, we're doing a story on your husband's promotion. Wanted to ask you a few questions”

“I'm sorry. I can't today. If you schedule it with his girl....” Marsha turns to leave and Sara puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“I'm trying to save you from a really bad accident”

“Are you threatening me?” Marsha asks, Sara's eyes widen slightly.

“No” She removes her hand from Marsha’s shoulder. “No, I-I-I'm pointing out a pattern” Dean catches up to them. “Look, for your own good, what did you do to get him promoted?” Sara asks.

“I have no idea what you're talking about. Now leave me alone. Or do I have to call security?” Marsha leaves, Dean looks to Sara.

“Nicely done” he tells her dryly, she shoots him a look back.


	29. Chapter Twenty Eight

Marsha walks through the foyer of the building whilst talking on her cell phone.

“Bring the damn car around. I'm not walking five blocks in my heels” Marsha stops under a large light fixture. A man stands at the railings on the next floor. He twists his hand and the chain holding the light fixture breaks. Marsha screams. At the last moment, Sara grabs Marsha and they both fall to the floor out of harm’s way. Sara leans up.

“Are you okay?” she asks Marsha.

“How did you know?”

“'Cause you're not the first” Sara answers as she stands and then helps Marsha up. “Come on” Dean touches Sara's arm as he reaches them, she looks to him, he looks her over for injury before relaxing. She hates that. Dean turns to Marsha.

“You want to tell us what's up here?” Dean asks Marsha.

“I was having lunch with friends. This guy heard me bitching. Next thing I know, he's making me an offer”

“An offer?”

“Craig's job for my soul. I know. Hilarious. I mean, what have I got to lose?”

“Well, there's your soul” Sara points out before looking to Dean. “What kind of demon deal is this? Timeline's out” she asks him.

“What are you talking about? Demon?” Marsha asks them, Dean looks to her.

“You made a deal with a demon in exchange for your everlasting” Dean tells her.

“Except those are 10-year contracts” Sara adds. “Why's the bill coming due so fast?” she asks.

“I don't know, but I got a bad feeling about who's next” Dean answers. “We got to find Sam, pronto”

“All right” Sara agrees and pulls out her cell phone. “Okay, urm, plan” she scrolls her contacts. “Can get a jet here in....an hour ish” she looks to Dean who raises an eyebrow, she rolls her eyes and dials before taking a few steps away.

…..............

Dean leans against the wall not listening to Sara's conversation, he has a feeling it's her...super, grumpy, annoying, stupidly handsome soldier who stole his pie. He misses Sara's apple pies. Sara hangs up and moves back towards them, Dean leans up.

“Okay, Steve said he'd come and watch her. We drop her at a motel and he'll stop anything trying to get her. We, uh, find Sam, hopefully fix this, everybody's home in time for the new episode of "Dr. Sexy M.D."”

….........

Dean and Sara enter Becky's apartment, gun and batons drawn. Sara walks through the apartment into the bedroom. Dean shakes his head at a framed wedding picture of Sam and Becky and flips through Becky’s mail.

“Anything?” Dean asks, Sara is looking at Becky's laptop, which shows her Twitter page. The three Tweets she has made are listed.

“Uh, she's got 11 Twitter...ers” Sara answers. “Last post – "Going on romantic trip with hubster!!!" Three exclamation points. I guess she got excited” Dean holds up a picture of Becky standing outside her parents' cabin with a fishing rod and a fish.

“That look romantic to you?” he asks as Sara walks back into the room.

“Well...” she starts, Dean raises an eyebrow.

“Really?” he asks her, she shrugs.

“I like cabins” she answers, he watches her a moment before he looks back to the photo. He removes the back from the photo frame and takes out the photo. On the back is written: Becky's 1st fish. Loon Lake family cabin 1994.

“Huh” Dean states and then holds it out to Sara who moves closer to take it.

…................

“Well... this is not how I imagined spending my reunion” Becky states stood next to the bed where she has tied up Sam. Sam says something that is muffled by the handkerchief in his mouth. “I was gonna show you off – not that anyone actually knows who you are. "Supernatural" is not exactly popular, but... you're tall... and nice and... they'd all think I was happy” Sam mutters something. “You're mad. I get it. But...” Becky lies down on the bed and puts her head on Sam's chest. “Can we talk?”

“Oh, God” Sam replies muffled.

“I know you don't love me”

“Yeah, you got that right” Sam agrees, muffled.

“I know what I am, okay? I'm a loser. In school, in life. Guess that's why I like you so much”

“What?” Becky leans up on one elbow and looks at Sam.

“I mean, not that you're a loser, but you had that whole character arc about being a freak, and... I can relate”

“Oh, my God” Becky sits up on the bed.

“Honestly... The only place people understood me was the message boards. They were grumpy and overly literal, but at least we shared a common passion. And I'll take it, you know? Then I met you guys – the real Sam and Dean. And Sara. And I started dating Chuck” Becky rubs a hand over Sam's chest. “And everything was... amazing. But you left, and Chuck dumped me. I think I intimidated him with my vibrant sexuality” Sam says something indistinct. “I just want someone who loves me for me! Is that too much to ask?” Sam says something muffled. Becky snatches the handkerchief out of his mouth. “What?”

“If you want somebody to love you for you, maybe don't drug them”

“But I want you! And this is the only way” Becky takes the vial out of her pocket.

“Becky. Becky, you're better than this”

“That's sweet, but... I'm not so sure” She argues.

…...............

Becky is sitting at a table in a restaurant alone with a drink. Guy approaches and sits across from her.

“Becks! You missed the party”

“Yeah. Well... weird night”

“So, what are we thinking?” Guy asks her.

“Okay. I'm in” she tells him and then gets up from the table and stands in front of Guy.

“You're making the right choice”

“I know. So... we seal the deal with a kiss?” Becky asks.

“Exactly. Pucker up, sweetheart” Becky strikes a cigarette lighter and drops it to the ground. Flames shoot around a devil’s trap. Guy is in the middle. Becky steps back.

“I'm not your sweetheart!” Sara, Steve, Dean and Sam appear from the next room. Sara is holding up a bottle.

“Blueberry vodka. The answer to all of life's problems” Steve smirks a little and looks to her.

“You sounds like a Stark then” he whispers, she snorts and smirks back.

“You see that, Sam? I did it just like we said! I am awesome!” Becky tells Sam who gives her a look. “I – I'll be over here”

“Dean Winchester. This is really thrilling. Hey, can I have your autograph?” Guy asks, Dean takes out a knife.

“Sure. Yeah, I'll, uh, carve it into your spleen. So, how you running your little scam?”

“Well, how do you mean, Dean?”

“Signing 10-year deals, snuffing 'em that week” Sam answers.

“Well, I would never. No. Rules of the road – can't lay a hair on any of my clients”

“Right” Sara scoffs. “So how are you cheating it?” she asks.

“I'm not a cheater. I'm an innovator. It's called a loophole, you moron” Sara raises an eyebrow at Guy. “Yes, when a person bargains away his soul, he gets a decade, technically. But accidents happen”

“So you're arranging "accidents" and collecting early?” Sara asks.

“Oh, please. White gloves. I don't get my hands dirty. That's why it's important to have a capable intern” Guy’s ‘intern’, the man who caused the ball park and light fixture “accidents”, appears behind Guy with an arm raised. Dean, Sam, Steve and Sara go flying backwards and crash into tables and walls. Dean’s knife ends up on the floor some distance from him. “What time did I ask you to be here? What time did I ask you to be here?!” Guy’ Intern breaks the devil’s trap with his foot. Sam is unconscious. Guy appears in front of Sara, who gets to her feet and throws holy water at Guy. Guy recoils.

“Exorcizamus te, omnis...” Guy grabs Sara by the throat. Sam wakes to find Guy's Intern advancing on him.

“Becky...run!” Sam tells her. Steve and Dean get to their knees, but Guy's Intern sends them sprawling back to the ground with a downwards movement of his arm. Guy's Intern makes a twisting movement with his hand and Sam starts to choke. Then a knife protrudes through Guy's Intern's chest: Becky has stabbed him from behind. Guy's Intern falls to the ground.

“Whoa” Sam pulls the knife out of Guy's Intern and tosses it to Sara, who holds it against Guy's throat. Guy releases Sara.

“How many deals have you got in this town?” she asks.

“Fifteen”

“Yeah, well, call them off, or I'll cut my own loophole in your throat” she threatens.

“Oh, crap”

“Yeah, you said it. You're in a world....” Crowley appears behind Sara.

“Hello, boys. Precious” Sara glances behind herself as Dean and Steve stand.

“Oh, crap” Dean grumbles, Sara moves around Guy and holds the knife against his throat from behind.

“Sam, mazel tov. Who's the lucky lady?” Crowley asks.

“You're Crowley!”

“And you're – well, I'm sure you have a wonderful personality, dear”

“Ah, another step, and Sara'll Colombian necktie your little friend here” Dean warns, Sara presses the knife harder to guy.

“Please, don't let him get off that easy”

“Sir, I don't think that you...”

“I know exactly what you've been doing. A little birdie named Jackson” Guy glances at Guy's Intern, dead on the floor. “sold you out, e-mailed all the juicy deets to my suggestion box” Crowley looks at Jackson/Guy's Intern. “I assume... That's my whistle-blower? Shame. Had a future. Unfortunately, you don't”

“I was just....”

“There's only one rule – make a deal, keep it”

“Well, technically, I didn't....”

“There's a reason we don't call our chits in early – consumer confidence. This isn't Wall Street! This is Hell! We have a little something called integrity. This gets out, who'll deal with us? Nobody! Then where are we?”

“I don't know”

“That's right. You don't. Because you're a stupid, shortsighted little prat. Now, hand the jackass over. I'll cancel every deal he's made”

“What are you gonna do with him?” Sara asks.

“Make an example of him. Fair trade, right? We all go our separate ways. No harm done”

“What, out of the goodness of your heart?” Sam asks.

“Years of demons nipping at your heels, haven't seen one for months. Wonder why?”

“We've been a little busy” Dean answers.

“Hunting Leviathan – yes, I know. That's why I told my lads to stay clear of you meatheads”

“So, what do you know about...”

“Too much. You met that dick yet? Smuggest tub of goo since Mussolini. I hate the bastards. Squash 'em all, please. I'll stay clear” Crowley tells them.

“Rip up the contracts first” Sara tells Crowley, Crowley snaps his fingers.

“Done... and done. Your turn, Precious”

“No, no, no, no. Let...” Sara shoves Guy towards Crowley.

“Pleasure, gentlemen” Crowley looks to Steve. “Captain” Crowley looks over Sara. “Precious, call me” he winks at her and then disappears with Guy. Dean gives Sara a look, she smirks and shrugs at him.

.....................

Sam is signing an annulment. He slides it across the table to Becky.

“It... it wasn't all bad, right?” Becky asks, Sam looks at Becky unsmilingly.

“Okay, y-you did save my life, and for that, thanks”

“So, I'll see you again?”

“Yeah, probably not” Becky's face falls and she signs the annulment as Dean, Sara and Steve look on. “Becky, look. You're not a loser, okay? You're a good person, a-and you've got... a lot of... e-energy. So, you know, just do your thing, whatever that is, and the right Guy will find you” Sam tells Becky before walking over to the others, he looks between Sara and Steve both stood the exact same way, Sam looks to Dean and sighs.

…...............

Dean and Sam are leaning on the back of the Dodge, they both look to Sara and Steve as they walk towards them.

“Wow, side by side it's eerie” Dean comments.

“Tell me about it” Sam agrees. They both stand and meet the two blonde half way.

“Thanks for the hand” Dean tells Sara who nods a little. “I mean it, Sara” she offers a small smile.

“Sure” she whispers, Steve offers his hand to Dean who takes it and nods in thanks.

“Thanks, Cap” Dean teases. “For looking after...”

“Marsha” Sara offers rolling her eyes.

“Right, Marsha....” Dean states. “Thanks, for looking after her” He tells Steve who nods and looks to Sara who gives him a look, he smirks at her. Steve then holds out his hand to Sam who takes it and shakes, the pair sharing a smile. Both looking the other over subtly.

“Ready, Sara?” Steve asks, Sara looks away from Dean and nods following Steve, Dean sighs softly and looks to Sam who pats his shoulder and turns to the car before they both climb in. Steve looks to Sara and raises an eyebrow at her, she sighs and looks to him. “Him? Really?” he asks. “I mean...I get it, he's good looking in the obvious way but he just seems....” she stops and faces him, Steve joins her.

“Seems what?” she asks.

“Punch first ask questions later....Like a soldier”

“You were a solider” she points out. “So was Buck” she reminds him. “Why is that a bad thing?” she asks him as the Dodge drives away.

“I'm not saying it is” Steve is quick to correct. “I'm saying....” Steve sighs. “He feels dangerous”

“Dean?” She snorts. “Well, yeah” Steve raises an eyebrow. “He's a hunter, Steve, he's trained to kill those things that want to eat us”

“Fair enough” Steve offers. “I just....I see why Bucky gets worried about you”

“He worries about me?” Sara asks.

“Of course he does” Steve answers with a smile. “He's crazy about you, he'd worry if you were only going out for milk” Steve nudges her slightly. “Bucky's just worried about what he thinks he deserves....”

“He's worried I'll leave and not come back” she offers, he nods. “He's worried I'll see him how he sees himself” she sighs and shakes her head. “He's ridiculous” she grumbles and walks away towards where her bike is sat next to Steve's. “We should have made the jet stay” she states climbing onto her bike, Steve chuckles and climbs onto his own.

“I thought the ride back would be nice” he offers, she looks to him as it starts to rain, he laughs as she shakes her head.

“You owe me” she tells him starting the bike. “You can buy dinner tonight” he starts his own bike. “For everyone” he looks to her as she smirks and pulls her hair up into a ponytail.

 


	30. Chapter Twenty Nine

Sara bounces over to the sofa and smiles wrapping her arms around Bucky's neck, he jerks alert slightly before relaxing and reaching up for her arm glancing to her.

“Hey, doll” he greets, she kisses his cheek.

“Did you miss me?” she asks him softly as she climbs over the back of the sofa to sit next to him. He smiles, relaxes, he's been tense since she left, she turns and sets her head in his lap, he pulls out her ponytail and then plays with her hair.

“Like you have no idea” he whispers answering her question, she smiles at him. “I love you” he tells her warmly.

“I love you too, Buck” he strokes her cheek and she nuzzles into it. “Hey, time for Dr. Sexy” she teases opening her eyes, he laughs and nods.

“Yeah, right on time” he agrees as the show starts on the tv across from them.

“Oh, and I got Steve to agree to buy everyone dinner” Bucky snorts.

“Really?” she nods. “Nice” he pokes her nose. “Oddly proud of you” she chuckles and sits up against to curl into his side, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder, he smiles and kisses her head. Utterly relieved that she is back at his side. He closes his eyes and holds her closer. She places her hand on his knee and squeezes. “Let's rain check dinner” he tells her, she turns her head to look up at him. “Let's you and me....order take out, sit in front of the tv and watch Westerns” she smiles and nods.

“You have no idea how perfect that sounds” she touches his chest.

“We can even make our own fort” he teases nudging her nose with his, she laughs and kisses him, he kisses her back before pulling away. “Or we can just go straight to bed...” he offers smirking. She smacks his chest as he laughs.

“I need to eat...” she scolds. “So do you” she points out. “We're both super soldiers.....we need to eat”

…...............

“What is going on in here?” Steve asks as he and Bruce stare at the pillow and box fort in the living room, Bucky jumps up and looks to them both, Bruce raises an eyebrow and smirks as Steve gives Bucky a look. “Are you naked?” Steve asks, Bucky looks down and then back to Steve.

“No” he answers, Steve crosses his arms over his chest.

“Are you lying?” Steve counters, Bucky bites his lip before smirking.

“Yes” He admits.

“Buck” Steve scolds.

“What? Not like you ain't seen it all before....” Bucky argues back, Bruce starts laughing and then coughs to cover it up when Steve shoots him a look.

“This is the communal living room” Steve tells Bucky. “Wait.....are you alone?” Steve asks, Bucky looks down and shakes his head.

“Hello, Sara” Bruce greets.

“Hello, Dr. Banner” Sara greets from inside the fort. Steve sighs and shakes his head.

“You both have your own rooms” he scolds.

“That's what Tony said” Sara states as she stands, luckily having pulled on Bucky's shirt. “But it's.....it just happens” Bucky nods agreeing. “Keep happening” she whispers, Steve sighs as Bruce looks down smirking.

“Your combined ages are more than 100” Steve scolds. “Try and act like it” he turns and leaves the room, Bruce gives the two of them a smile before following Steve, Bucky and Sara share a look before they are both laughing, Bucky pulling her closer to kisses her.

“Now...where were we?” he asks sliding his hands under the shirt.

.......................

Tony sits next to Bucky who eyes him carefully, Tony's been avoiding Bucky the last 2 months, given Bucky and Sara's relationship, this is new, Tony glances to him and then away.

“Spit it out” Bucky grumbles.

“Word of advice” Tony starts not looking at Bucky. “Sara loves Christmas” he informs Bucky. “Goes absolutely crazy for it.....it's scary”

“Yeah? Steve too” Bucky admits, Tony glances to him.

“Shouldn't be surprised” Tony mumbles. “Oh god there's gonna be two of them this year” he complains and stands. “Screw it, I'm going on holiday this year. She's your problem now” Tony tells Bucky before walking away.

“It's that bad?” Bucky asks, Tony looks to him.

“She throws up Christmas” Tony answers. “Sleeps Christmas, eats Christmas.....it's Howard's fault, those first few years in the facility Christmas was the only thing Sara had, Howard would take in a little tree and decorations, and....”

“She started looking forward to it” Bucky finishes, Tony nods.

“When you have nothing, you cling to anything” Tony offers. “He really screwed her up” Tony whispers. “You better look after her” Tony tells Bucky. “I mean it, she's.....she was born to perfect, and she is, on the outside, but inside.....” Tony shakes his head and leaves, Bucky turns forward sadly. He knew Sara would have had a troubled upbringing, without real parents or an actual real childhood, but he's never really thought about it. About the damage it did to her, he doesn't see it.

...…........

Bucky leans in the doorway to his bedroom where Sara lays in his bed watching tv. She chuckles at the tv show and he smiles.

“So I hear someone like Christmas” he teases, Sara looks to him and then sighs.

“Tony told you” she mumbles burying her face in the blankets.

“I'm not saying it's a bad thing” he starts moving to the bed. “But....from the way he...”

“I'm not crazy” she interrupts.

“Hey, I never said you are” he sits on the bed next to her. She turns to face him. “But what are we talking about here?” he asks. “Costume? Fake snow? Snowglobes?” he leans closer to her. “Just so I know what I am getting into, I mean, Steve was bad when we were just kids, but he's not really celebrated since I came back.....maybe we can...do something together, all of us” Sara smiles and leans into his side, his flesh arm wrapping around her.

“Like an Avenger Christmas?” she asks him, he strokes her arm.

“More a you, me, Steve and Tony Christmas” he corrects, she frowns at him.

“You want to spend one of the most stressful times of the year with my brother who hates you?” she asks him, Bucky nods a little.

“When you put it like that” he grumbles and nuzzles into her hair. “But he's important to you” he offers. “And you are important to me” Sara pushes him back climbing into his lap, biting her lip with a smile.

“You know....Steve told me that you worry about your worth....that you don't think you deserve me” Bucky groans and touches her waist.

“I don't” he assures her. She strokes his hair back and smiles at him.

“Everyone deserves someone to love them” she counters.

“But that doesn't mean I deserve to be loved by you” he argues.

“I'm not perfect, Bucky” she leans up. “I'm far from it. You have your issues, and I have mine, but for some reason, here we are....and we can call it divine intervention, or luck, or.....chance”

“I don't believe in any of that” Bucky points out.

“Then what do you believe in?” she asks him, he smiles.

“I believe in you” he answers. “I believe in what I can see and hear and touch” he runs his hands down her side and pulls her closer. “I've been through enough to believe to there is no God, and right now....I prefer to believe in that Death guy, because I saw him” he sighs. “And I know you've seen things, monster things, supernatural things, but I've seen things too, human things, normal things. And if that makes us see the world differently, then so be it....but it makes me believe that I am not worthy of you, or your love” she looks to him sadly.

“Bucky” she whispers, he shrugs.

“Everything I've done” he starts and looks away. “How can I deserve someone like you” Sara leans down and kisses him.

“Because I love you” she tells him. “If you are so....irredeemable, so far gone....would I?” he threads his fingers through her hair and smiles at her.

“And your positivity is why I love you” he assures her. “Oh, honey, you see the light in everything, even the darkest of things, don't you?” he asks stroking her cheek.

“I like to try” she answers, he smiles warmly at her. “What sort of world would we live in, if it was all darkness?” she asks him, he pulls her closer and kisses her.

…..................

Sara wakes and stretches in bed before turning over, her hands catching on a tray left on the bed, she frowns and sits up slightly, a smile working it's way onto her lips. The tray has toast with marmalade on, a mug of coffee, a glass of orange juice and a single poppy, as well as a small note, Sara picks up the note. ' _Sara. I made you breakfast. Eat and then join me in the living room. I have a surprise. Bucky x_ '. Sara smiles and sets the note down and grabs the coffee.

…...............

Sara steps into the living room and pauses, her eyebrow rising as she looks around.

“Bucky?” she asks spotting him, crouched with his back to her, fiddling with something on the table behind him. He jerks up in surprise and turns to her. “What's going on?” she asks him confused and happy at the same time.

“Merry Christmas” Bucky tells her snapping on a Santa hat, she smiles at him, raising a hand to her heart.

“You did all of this?” she looks around the Winter Wonderland in the tower living room, a tree: decorated, lights: everywhere, fake snow, tinsel, figurines: both small and large, a dancing reindeer and even music.

“Steve helped” Bucky admits. “But...yes” Sara looks to him. “I wanted to....” he offers her a smile. “Do something for you” Sara moves straight to him and grabs the back of his neck.

“I love you” she assure him and then kisses him. “This is perfect” he shakes his head.

“No, not yet it isn't” he counters and holds up another hat, Sara laughs and lets him put it on her head. “Now, it is perfect” he tells her stepping back to look at her. “Perfect” she bites her lip slightly.

 


	31. Chapter Thirty

Tony smiles looking over Sara, it's not very often that she dresses up, and it's even rarer that she'll attend one of his parties, but this is the New Year, and the first one she'll be attending since the creation of the Avengers. And Sara always looks hands down gorgeous. This party is no different, the floor length low cut black dress is stunning on her.

“Well don't you scrub up nicely” Tony tells her as she reaches him setting her silver cross around her neck. “Can we talk real quick?” Tony asks, Sara nods a little. “About Bucky”

“Tony” she warns.

“No, just hear me out” he begs of her, she sighs and looks to him. “I love you” Tony admits. “You're my big sister.....but these last 9 months I've watched Dean break your heart, and I've watched Bucky....tape it back together again” she smiles a little. “I won't ever like him, Barbie, and you can't ask me too, but I get it” he clasps her face in his hands and smiles. “I'll try to be civil, for you” he kisses her forehead and pulls back. “Shall we?” he asks, she nods and smiles.

“Thank you” she whispers, he nudges her softly and takes her arm.

…..........

Bucky leans at the bar with Steve and Sam Wilson who are laughing together, Bucky's waiting for Sara, it's only been 3 hours and he already misses her. And when he sees her, his heart actually skips a beat and his palms start sweating.

“Wow” Bucky whispers, Wilson and Steve follow his line of sight. Sara is stood talking to Vision who looks so uncomfortable in a suit, but seems genuinely interested in what he and Sara are talking about. She looks stunning.

“No offence, Steve” Sam starts. “But girl you is so much hotter” Steve and Bucky look to him. “Just stating the facts” Sam offers and pats Bucky's shoulder and then walks away.

“Can I kill him?” Bucky asks, Steve chuckles and shakes his head.

“No” Steve answers.

“Boring” Bucky complains and looks back to Sara who glances to him and smiles, he smiles back at her. “Steve” he starts.

“Yes?” Steve asks.

“I really love her” Buck admits. “Like....Like one day 'I'm going to marry her' love her” Steve smiles at his best friend, Bucky looks to him. “I'll kill anyone that gets in the way of that”

“Okay, now it's crossed the line a little” Steve tells Bucky who shrugs back.

“Well I mean it” Bucky admits. “Because I have never met anyone like her, I've never met anyone who makes me feel the way she makes me feel.....And I want to keep that”

…............

Bucky waits till the party's died down a little before approaching her, she's been busy with press and party guests. She's been busy and he didn't want to get in the way. Bucky slips an arm around Sara as he reaches her.

“I felt like I've barely seen you all night” he whispers, she takes his hand on her waist and turns to face him.

“I know. People get chatty when they realise I'm Tony's sister” she threads her fingers through his hair at the back of his head, he smiles at her.

“You don't seem bothered to cosy up to the in house head case in front of all these people, all these members of press....” he points out.

“Because I'm not ashamed of you” she counters. “Look at you” she whispers. “After everything Hydra did to you, look at you now” she touches his suit jacket and smiles lovingly at him. “I'm proud that I can say that I am in a relationship with you, Bucky, that I love you” he smiles at her. “Do you know how to dance?” she asks, he takes her hands and smirks.

“I do” he answers leaning closer. “I have to admit that once upon a time I was a pretty good dancer” he pulls her towards the dance floor, she chuckles letting him. He gently weaves them both through the dancer to the centre and turns pulling her closer to wrap an arm around her waist, taking her hand in his other, then he sways with her to the music of the big band Tony hired. Tony leans on the bar next to Steve who smiles watching Bucky and Sara.

“I haven't seen him dance since....” Steve starts. “Stark Expo” he admits and looks to Tony who raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah, well....I've never seen Sara dance” Tony counters. Steve gives him a look. “Don't make me say it” Tony whines. “I'm never going to admit he's good for her, not after.....”

“I get it, Bucky killed....” Steve stops. “It wasn't his fault and Sara's forgiven him”

“But Howard left her care to me” Tony argues. “I have to look after her, I have to protect her, out of everything....I have to get this right” Steve sighs.

“Howard screwed you up just as much as he did her, didn't he?” Steve asks, Tony nods.

“Yep, he did” Tony admits and then walks away. Steve looks back to Bucky and Sara, Bucky whispering to her as she laughs, Steve smiles at the two of them.

….............

Bucky sits with Sara on the couches in the corner of the room, she leans against his side, his arm around her as he whispers in her ear, they're people watching and he's making up conversations as she laughs at them.

“Countdown is about to start” Tony announces to the room, Bucky looks around and takes Sara's hand in his.

“Come with me” he whispers and pulls her up out of the seat and away from the crowd onto the balcony. She smiles as he pulls her closer to him, the two of them looking out over the city.

“10” they countdown from inside.

“Wait right here” Bucky whispers to her and then heads back inside.

“9” Bucky grabs two flutes of champagne before returning to her, she watching him as he smiles at her holding it out to her, she takes it. “8” Bucky brushes Sara's hair back. “7”

“I'm going into a new year with the most beautiful woman in the world” he tells her lovingly, she smiles at him.

“Too many more?” she asks holding out her glass, he nods and sets his glass against her.

“Many, many more” he agrees.

“3.....2....” Bucky kisses Sara. “1” fireworks explode in the sky above them, the party guests cheers, champagne corks pop, and party poppers sound out. Bucky and Sara just loose themselves in the moment. It's cheesy and corny and cliché, but it's their moment and it's perfect. Bucky pulls back and smiles.

“Happy New Year, Sara” he tells her warmly,

“Happy New Year.....James” he chuckles a little and kisses her again.

 


	32. Chapter Thirty One

“I've been thinking” Bucky starts rubbing the arms of the chair he's sat in, Sam Wilson sits across from him, though these sessions are technically no longer need, Bucky actually has grown to like them, to use them, and Sam gets to see a side of Bucky no one else does, utterly love sick.

“About anything in particular?” Sam asks, Bucky nods.

“I want to revisit the whole....me and Sara living together thing...I want to ask Sara to live with me......here in the tower” Bucky answers, Sam smirks.

“Is that something you think she'd want too?” Sam asks, Bucky digs his fingers into the arm of the chair.

“I hope so” Bucky whispers. “I mean I think so....she sleeps in my bed every night any way”

“But it's different sharing space” Sam offers. “Making space for her, not just her but her things”

“I can do that” Bucky offers. “For her” Sam raises an eyebrow.

“You really have come a long way in 9 months” Sam offers, Bucky looks down and smiles a little. “She's good for you, really good for you”

“I think so too” Bucky agrees and then makes a face.

“What?” Sam asks, Bucky looks up smiling. “What are you plotting?”

“I want out” Bucky tells him. “I don't want to fight any more, I want a life, I want a wife.....I want a real home with Sara....and being here in the tower.....I don't see that happening”

“Slow down” Sam warns.

“Well it will take some time anyway, to find a house, to....figure out how to pay for it, I mean SHIELD doesn't pay me that much and...”

“Bucky” Sam warns.

“Then I'll have wait a few months to get a ring”

“Stop” Sam snaps, Bucky looks to him. “You're getting too far ahead of yourself” Bucky leans onto his knees.

“I've been waiting more then 70 years to find someone like her, someone that I want to do all these things with” Bucky admits.

“I know” Sam assures him. “But it's been months” Bucky sighs. “Start small....” Bucky nods a little. “How are you gonna ask her?” Sam asks, Bucky shrugs and smiles.

…...................

Bucky is first to bed that night, he has it all planned out in his mind, he'll ask her to move into his and Steve's tower apartment, and he'll see where they go from there. Sara grabs her cell phone from the bedside table.

“I've been looking for this all day” she complains as she climbs into bed, Bucky watches her warmly. Yep, this girl, this woman, he wants to go to be and wake up with her every day for the rest of his life, however long that is going to be. “Missed calls” she mumbles. “From Sam” Bucky frowns. “Winchester” she adds.

“It's real confusing knowing two Sams” he grumbles getting comfy, she chuckles and leans over to kiss him. “What does he want?” Bucky asks when she pulls away, Sara shrugs and looks to her phone.

“He left a message” she answers and then sets the phone to her ear to play the message.

“Sara, it's Sam....I...listen something happened and...” his voice breaks. “It's Bobby, It's bad, Sara, it's....really bad. I....we're in a hospital in Hammonton, New Jersey...” the voice message cuts out and Sara looks down trying to process.

“Sara?” Bucky asks sitting up behind her. “What is it?” he takes her cell phone from her. “Sara?”

“I have...it's Bobby” she whispers trying to control her emotions. Bucky watches her before scooting closer.

“Okay, what do you need to do?” he asks her, she looks to him.

“Hospital” she answers. “I have to go to the hospital” he nods.

“Alright, let's go” he offers, she blinks at him.

“What?” she asks confused.

“Let's go” he repeats. “That's what you need, so that's what we'll do, okay?” she nods and he climbs out of the bed. “How far are we going?” he asks, she watches as he grabs a bag from the wardrobe.

“New Jersey” he looks to her and then sets the bag back and then starts dressing instead.

“Sara” he states as she stares at the blankets. “Sara, honey, it's going to be okay” he assures her moving back to her. “But you need to get changed” she nods a little and climbs out of bed.

“Can I borrow a shirt?” she asks quietly, he nods and grabs one of his button ups fro the wardrobe and hands it to her. He strokes her cheek, she presses her head to his chest. He kisses her head and wraps an arm around her.

…..................

Sara approaches Bucky at the car and he holds out his hand for her weekend bag, they'd decided on packing one just in case they need to stay longer. He kisses her forehead and moves to the trunk of the car to set it next to his as she climbs into the passenger side, her hands shaking, her body coursing with worry, concern and fear. She can't loose anyone else. It's not fair. Bucky climbs into the car and looks to her, Sara sits up straight her hands in her lap, fingers fiddling with her other fingers, he reaches over and threads his with hers, she looks to him.

“Thank you” she tells him. “For.....coming with me”

“I wasn't going to let you do this alone” he offers. “Not when you are this upset” she looks down at their joint hands and pulls them closer to her.

….................

Bucky parks in the hospital parking lot before turning off the engine and glancing to Sara, she's been quiet, silently working through her emotions, Tony may have warned him that she has issues because of the cloning, that she knows how to process so he should just let her. Seconds pass and she remains still and silent next to him, then minutes, he taps his fingers on the wheel and then turns to her.

“Sara” he whispers, she looks to him and then nods a little.

“What if....” she starts.

“We don't know anything yet” he interrupts. “Let's just go inside, honey” she smiles softly.

“I like that” she admits, he frowns. “Honey....” she adds. “I like it” he presses his forehead to hers and she closes her eyes.

“Come on” he whispers pulling back, she nods again and climbs out of the car, pulling her jacket closer to herself as she closes the door. Bucky takes a deep breath and joins her.

“The last time Bobby was in hospital” she starts. “It was...when he lost the use of his legs” Bucky frowns and looks to her. “He got them back” she adds. “Long story” he nods and takes her hand as she reaches him. “Sam sounded....” she hugs his arm. “This is different” she whispers.

“Whatever it is” he starts. “You'll get through it, like you have everything else” she looks up at him, he gives her a reassuring smile. It doesn't work.

 

 


	33. Chapter Thirty Two

Sara and Bucky enter the hospital, which is busy, people running one way then the other, Bucky keeps hold of Sara's hand as he moves them through the crowds, he sees Sam before Sam sees them.

“Sam” Bucky shouts, Sam turns to them and waits for them to reach him.

“Sara” Sam whispers pulling her into a hug, she closes her eyes and hugs him back.

“How bad is it?” Sara asks, Sam looks down at her.

“Sara” he starts.

“What happened?” she tries a different angle.

“We...we went after Dick Roman” Sara frowns at him. “It's....wow, let me start from the beginning” Sam tells them motioning to the chairs at the side.

…..................

Once Sam has finished telling her about everything she leans on her knees, her head in her hands, Sam has argued with Dean a lot about Sara, he's wanted her here from the beginning but Dean, Dean is as stubborn as he's always been.

“And Bobby?” she asks lifting her head. “What's....what's the....” she struggles a little, Bucky touches her back.

“Well the swelling's down a little. They took him off sedation. Apparently, he – he started fighting his tube. So they pulled them out, and he's breathing on his own”

“That's good, right?” Sara asks and then looks to Sam. “Is that good?”

“Yeah. Well, doctor said best-case scenario”

“So when they gonna take the bullet out?” Sara asks, Sam frowns a little.

“Sara, t-they're not even – they're not even gonna try that, not yet”

“What does that mean?”

“The word's abrading, I think” Sam answers her.

“English” Sara begs.

“Cutting out the dead brain tissue” Sam tells her sadly. “That's if the doctor even thinks it's worth the risk”

“He's not gonna die” Sara argues. “He's not”

“Sara” Sam whispers. “He might”

“Sam” she whispers.

“Listen – we need to brace ourselves” Sam tells them, and shares a look with Bucky who kisses Sara's head.

“There has to be something” she whispers. “Someone who can help, that can fix this”

“Sara” Bucky coos. “Honey” she shakes her head.

“No” she argues. “This is not...this is not how he goes out” she stands and turns to them. “He deserves better then this” she tells them both and then walks away.

….............

Dean pauses approaching Bobby's room, Sara stands with her back to him looking into the room where Bobby lays hooked up to machines, they all know how close she and Bobby are, how much the older man meant to her. She touches the glass and shakes her head. Dean approaches her.

“Sara, I'm so sorry” Dean tells her, she turns to Dean with tears in her eyes, she blinks and it sends them leaking from her eyes. “Sara” Dean whispers, she slaps him. Dean stares at the floor, the pain of the slap setting in, he groans and reaches for his face.

“If you hadn't been sooo damn foolish, if you hadn't pushed me away.....If I was fighting with you, this would never have happened” she accuses, he looks to her rubbing his cheek.

“You don't know that” Dean argues.

“I have a pretty good idea” she counters and turns back to the glass, folding her arms over her chest, her jaw tight. Dean rubs his cheek. “I'm sorry” she whispers. “I shouldn't have hit you” she is quick to apologise.

“Figured I had it coming” Dean mumbles looking to her.

“Yes” she agrees, Dean looks to Bucky leaning against a wall down the corridor, trying not to watch them.

“Why did you bring him?” Dean asks.

“Because...I love him” she admits. “And he loves me, and he came because he understands how much Bobby means to me, and he thought I would need the support.....” she sniffles slightly. “And you.....I don't need, nor do I want you any more.....” Dean looks down and nods. “Don't ever contact me again” she tells him. “Ever” Dean looks at her, sadly, full of regret. “I wish you'd never entered my life, Dean Winchester” she admits and then walks away, letting herself cry. Bucky leans up off the wall and wraps his arms around her, letting her cry into his chest.

…............

Bucky stands from where he'd been sat with Sara and looks to her.

“I'm going to get us some coffee” Bucky tells Sara who sits staring at Bobby's room, she nods a little, Bucky strokes her hair and then walks away, she switches her gaze to him and watches him go before grabbing her phone from her pocket and scrolls through her contact before finding the one she wants. She hesitates slightly before dialling and setting the phone to her ear waiting for the click, she breaths out a breath when she hears it pick up on the other end.

“Helen, it's Sara” Sara greets. “I don't know if you remember me....”

“Tony's sister, I remember” Helen tells her. “What can I do for you?”

“I urm....I have a friend” Sara starts. “Massive head trauma...I was wondering if....if there was anyway you could....if there is anything you could do? I know you helped Clint and....but I don't know....”

“If you can get him to the facility” Helen tells her. “I will see what I can do”

“Are you serious?” Sara asks her. “That's....”

“I'm not making any promises, Sara” Helen is quick to correct. “I'll see what I can do....”

“Thank you” Sara whispers and then hangs up. “Okay...okay” she whispers and looks around.

…...............

Sara stands in front of Bobby's room and looks around, not many people are watching, Sam and Dean have gone to grab some food, Bucky has gone to get her coffee, if she's going to do this.....it has to be now. She ducks into Bobby's room.

…........

“Sara?” Bucky asks looking around for his girlfriend. “Sara?” he repeats.

…........

Dean pushes open the curtain to Bobby's bed and frowns.

“What the....?” Bobby is gone.

....................

Bucky frowns as he searches for Sara, she wouldn't just run off without telling him, would she? Sam and Dean are heading towards him from the opposite end of the corridor.

"Bucky" Sam calls out, Bucky turns to him. "What's going on?"

"I lost Sara" Bucky answers. "I went to get us coffee, came back and she was gone...." Dean and Sam share a look, Dean sighs.

"Guess that explains Bobby" Dean mumbles, Bucky frowns. "Bobby's....gone"

"She wouldn't" Bucky starts slightly dubious to his own statement. "Would she?"

"Do you know anyone that she would call about this?" Sam asks Bucky who looks away and then sighs.

"There's Helen" he answers and turns to them. "Helen Cho, she's an expert in cell regeneration or something......she fixed up Barton a few years ago, she's the only medical doctor the Avengers are allied with. I don't have her number" Bucky admits pulling out his cell phone. "But someone at the tower might" he offers and then dials Steve's number.

..................

Dean grits his teeth watching Bucky on the phone, Sam rolls his eyes knowing it's the green eyed monster, and he doesn't mean the Hulk, rearing it's ugly head. But Dean is the one that sent Sara away, Dean is the one that broke up with her. Bucky hangs up and walks back over to them.

"Helen said that Sara called her 30 minutes ago asking for her help...we're 30 minutes behind" he points out.

"Not if I drive" Dean argues already walking away, Sam sighs and looks to Bucky who nods.

"I'll follow" Bucky assures Sam.

...................

It takes them a while to get through the medical facility security, between Bucky's arm and Dean's crappy attitude. So they are an hour and a half behind Sara when they finally get through, when Bucky bursts through the doors to find Sara sat outside of a medical room, she looks up.

"Buck" she whispers, he moves to her as Sam and Dean join him. Sara looks down a little.

"Sara" Dean starts, she clenches her hands together and then takes a breath.

"She couldn't do anything" Sara whispers looking at her hands. "He's gone" Bucky crouches in front of her taking her hands in his. "I tried" she whispers, he nods and pulls her hand to his lips. "I tried so hard" she repeats tearful.

"I know, honey, I know" he whispers kissing her hands. Dean stands behind them watching, wanting to comfort Sara himself, but it's not his job any more, it's not something he's allowed to do. So he has to watch Bucky doing it instead, this other man touching the woman he loves with every inch of his being. Sam pats Dean's shoulder. Sara stands and moves towards Sam and Dean.

"Helen, she...said that the damage...." Sara looks down. "I thought she might be able to help" Sam touches her arm and she looks to him. "He woke up a little" she whispers pulling a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. "Wrote this before he...." she stops and smooths out the paper and holds it out to Dean. "I don't know what it means" she admits quietly, Dean takes the paper from her. "I'm sorry" she whispers. He nods and looks down at the paper. 45489 is written in Bobby's messy handwriting. "I'm sorry" Sara repeats, Sam hugs her tightly to his chest, she hugs him back closing her eyes. Sam pulls back and Sara takes a breath before she has to hang her head, to hide that she's now crying, and neither Sam nor Dean have ever seen her this emotional before. She turns to Bucky. "Can you take me home? Please take me home" She whispers to Bucky who nods and pulls her closer, his metal fingers playing with her hair as she buries her face against his chest. He looks to Dean who quickly looks away. Bucky kisses her head and then walks away with her, Sam sighs sadly.

"What are they?" he asks motioning to the numbers.

"I've no idea" Dean mumbles.

"She'll be fine" Sam offers, Dean looks to him. "Whether you like him or not, you know that he's going to look after her....I've only seen that look on one other person, the way he looks at her.....it's the way you used to look at her" Dean looks away. "Until your head got stuck up your own ass" Sam mumbles and walks into the next room where Helen is waiting for them. Dean shoots him a look before following. Sam and Helen look to him as he moves to join them.

"Ms Stark said you would have specific burial plans" Helen tells them. Dean nods.

"Thanks" Sam offers. "For trying"

"With injuries like the one your father suffered" Dean and Sam share a look and then look to Helen. Sara had told her Bobby was their father, and that just warms their hearts beyond belief. "Nothing short of a miracle is needed" Dean shakes his head. If Cas was here, if Cas hadn't gone nuclear....Bobby would be fine. "Sara...the thought was there" Helen offers.

"Yeah" Dean agrees softly moving over to where Bobby lays. Sam moves to join him.

"There was one more thing" Helen starts, they look to her, she smiles softly and holds her hands behind her back. "A message"

"What was it?" Sam asks.

"He said: Idjits" she answers, Sam and Dean share a look before smiling and nodding.

"Thank you, Dr. Cho" Sam tells her his voice breaking, she nods and then leaves them alone.

.....................

Bucky keeps his arms around Sara as she cries into his chest, her fingers clutching to the fabric. She's never been very good at handling the death of those closest to, she'd cried and screamed for a month before going catatonic for another after Howard and Maria died, she'd cried for two weeks when Dean went to Hell and that was before she and he had started anything, she cried for a week when Sam jumped into the cage. And now Bobby is dead....and deeply cares for Bobby. And Bucky, Bucky is being perfect, he's letting her get it out, he's not judging her.

"It's okay" he whispers softly in her ear. "It's okay" he repeats and closes his eyes. Even he liked the older guy.

 

 


	34. Chapter Thirty Three

 

Bucky sets a coffee and some toast on the bedside table before turning to Sara who is curled up in his bed, Tony had warned Bucky when they'd returned that Sara doesn't deal with death very well and the best thing for him to do is to let her get on with it on her own, just to make sure that she eats and drinks and showers. He sits on the bed and sets his hand on her waist, she opens her eyes to look at him.

“You gonna eat something, honey?” he asks her. She shrugs. “I know you're upset” he whispers softly.

“Is this what it's going to be like?” she asks him back. “The people around me dying.....how long till it's Tony?” he voice breaks with emotion. “Or you?” she starts to cry. “I don't want to live like this” she admits sadly. “I'm not even meant to be here.....just some....science experiment that went wrong” Bucky climbs onto the bed with her.

“Hey” he scolds wrapping his arms around her pulling her closer to his chest. “You are more then that” he assures her.

“No, Bucky, I'm not” she argues. “I was supposed to be born....a copy of Steve, I was supposed to die with all the other clones.....” he presses his lips to her shoulder.

“Howard saved you” he corrects.

“Did he?” she asks quietly. Bucky closes his eyes sadly, he knows this is just her dealing, but it still makes him feel sad. She clutches to his arm around her, keeping him close. He kisses her head.

….................

It's another week before Sara leaves her bed, and even then it's to shower and to eat, Bucky had managed to get her to eat 5 days ago, some soup and crackers, but she's slowly getting there. Bucky looks up from where he's eating his own breakfast and smiles softly at her, Sara moves to him and sets her head on his shoulder wrapping her arms around him.

“'M sorry” she mumbles, he wraps an arm around her waist.

“It's okay, honey” he assures her. “You grieve how ever you need” she snuggles into him. The second part of her process is being overly affectionate, Tony warned that he once had to lock himself in a cupboard to stop Sara from hugging him. Fact. True, Bucky checked with Pepper. Tony had actually been glad for Bucky this time, knowing that that affection will pass over Tony and onto Bucky. It's her need to have those she loves close to her. Those she is worried about. “You want some toast?” he asks, she shakes her head.

“I don't think I could eat” she admits. Behind them the apartment door opens and Steve and Sam walk in together. Both dressed up, a little more then casual. Now that Sara takes note, so is Bucky. And if she was in the right mind she'd probably ask about it. She pulls away from Bucky and tries to put on a brave welcoming smile. Steve doesn't hesitate, he just pulls Sara into a hug, his arms tight around her as he kisses her head. He shares a look with Bucky who runs his fingers through his hair as he stands. Bucky had decided to swaddle Sara in affection, so he called in reinforcements. Steve and Sam are the first to arrive. Steve has come to see Sara as a sister in the months leading up to this. Coffee. Sparing. Church. They've bonded. Behind Sam, Wanda and Vision join them, walking with Peter, Pepper and Tony. Bruce and Thor are last, they'd somehow managed to fit Thor into a white shirt and black blazer. Sara looks to them all as Wanda her Sara into a hug and strokes her fingers down her back comforting her.

“What are you all doing here?” Sara asks.

“We're going to go to church” Steve tells Sara who sniffles and pulls back from Wanda.

“You are?” she asks.

“We're all going” Wanda offers. “You included”

“But you're Jewish” Sara reminds Wanda.

“I can go to support you” Wanda argues. “God will understand” Sara looks down a little getting upset again. Bucky kisses her head.

“Why don't you get changed?” he asks her softly. “We'll wait for you” she nods and then walks away, leaving the room. Bucky lets out a breath.

“She's so upset” Peter whispers.

“Bobby meant a lot to her” Pepper points out. “Plus with Castiel....disappearing”

“Dissolving” Bucky corrects. Pepper nods.

“It must be hard” Steve offers pulling on his jacket. “We've spoke, and they've all lost....” he shakes his head. “We all have” it's why they're all here, because they all understand loss. Sara rejoins them, dressed up for church, she moves to Bucky's side and takes his hand, he looks down at her.

“You ready, Honey?” Bucky asks, Sara nods and gives him a smile, despite the hurt on her features. Because she knows he's trying his best. He's trying to make her feel better. She leans up and kisses him softly.

“Thank you” she whispers when she pulls back. He knows what she's thanking him for, he presses his forehead to hers.

…..............

Bucky's first time in church since before the war is an experience. He's forgotten how beautiful these places can be. The stained glass. The columns and stone work. And he didn't get zapped with lightning for stepping foot on holy ground so maybe he's not beyond redemption after all. He glances to Sara at his side. Her eyes shift to him and she smiles, more genuine this time, warm and loving. They share a look and he smiles back taking her hand in her lap.

“I love you” he assures her, she nods.

“I love you too” she counters and leans closer to kiss him softly. He moves his arm to rest around her shoulders pulling her into his side. “Thank you for coming with me” she whisper.

“I'd do anything for you” he admits softly, honestly he would do absolutely anything for this woman. Hell, he's pretty sure he'd murder the world for her if she asked him to. Yeah, this is the one. She is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with, no matter how long that is going to be, he wants to be with her.

 

 


	35. Chapter Thirty Four

**More Than One Year Later:**

Bucky lingers in getting out of bed, Sara sleeps soundly on her side, she looks so beautiful sleeping like this, so peaceful. It's been more than a year since Bobby's death, more than a year since Dean's. Sam had turned up in tears the day after they'd gone after Dick Roman. Sara didn't have the heart to turn him away, not with him hurting. So he stayed, just a few days. Then left. Sara had then admitted to Bucky that Dean's death....she didn't really feel anything, just numbness. That maybe she'd lost him too many times to feel it any more. So Sara decided she'd had enough. No more hunting. No more Winchesters. And she's kept true to it. No hunting. No Sam. Just him and the others. And because of it, she and Steve are closer, she and Wanda are closer. And she and Bucky....well it feels like they've been together for years, well....it's been one year now. A whole year. And Bucky swears she gets more and more beautiful as they days, weeks and months go one with her at his side. 6 months now she's been living with him. A little studio apartment on the Upper East Side, thanks mostly to Tony and Sara. There is no way Bucky would have been able to afford this sort of place. It's not like they're staying here long anyway. Once he and Steve finish their super secret project that Sara knows absolutely everything about, they'd been found out when Bucky came home with paint in his hair. Not that he minds that they were caught. It helps with decorating. Sara is actually better at all that then he and Steve are. Though Steve has a knack for colors, there are way too many choices in paint and wallpaper for them both to come out of it sane. A brownstone in Brooklyn that needed renovating, meaning it was cheaper, something he could afford. But still...Tony helped again. Wanting to make sure his sister is happy, where ever that is, even with Bucky. They're not friends. Never will be. But Tony can admit that the man is good for her. Bucky looks to Sara as she shifts in their bed, her hand seeking him out, but she finds his space empty which wakes her fully.

“Where are you?” she grumbles softly, Bucky leans down and kisses her.

“Here” he answers warmly, she reaches up for his cheek, cleanly shaven, even his hair is shorter, not as short as it used to be but not Winter Soldier length either, something between, just long enough for Sara to run her fingers through. She kisses him back, humming softly. “I was about to have a shower” he warns as she pulls him back into bed with her.

“In a minute” she mumbles against his lips. “Just stay a little longer” he wraps her up in his arms and kisses her head, letting her snuggle against him.

….............

Bucky sits across from Sam who is once again in his therapy throne, despite the fact that Bucky had tried to burn it, he hates it so much. Sam shifts in his seat and then taps his pan on his notepad.

“So it's been a year” Sam states, Bucky nods in agreement. “How are things?”

“We talk every day, Sam” Bucky points out. “You know how things are” Sam smirks.

“Indulge me” Sam counters, Bucky lets out a breath through his nose. “We haven't spoken like this in months, this is not us doing the friend talk this is me asking as your councilor” Bucky nods a little. “So last month we discussed you and Sara taking a big step in your relationship”

“Hmm” Bucky hums in agreement.

“What have you done to get there?” Sam asks leaning back, Bucky starts to smile and nods.

“I bought a ring” he admits, Sam smiles wider.

“Yeah?” he asks back, Bucky nods more excited now.

“Yeah....you wanna see it?” Bucky asks, Sam nods.

“Hell yeah I do” he leans forward as Bucky pulls out a small black box from his jacket pocket, he's terrified to put it down anywhere in case he loses it, or Sara finds it. He opens the top and shows the vintage princess cut ring, it's nothing special or Stark worthy, but he saved up for months because it had to be this one. A charming little ring, with a white, slightly blue stone, a silver band and it's engraved. Sam smiles and nods impressed and approving. There is a knocking on the door before it is being pushed open, Bucky fumbles to hide the ring, Steve pokes his head into the room and Bucky relaxes.

“Buck, debriefing” Steve tells them and then notes their looks. “What are you two being so shifty about?” Steve asks, Bucky and Sam share a look. Bucky holds up the ring box to Steve who smiles taking it from him. “Wow, you're really doing it” Bucky nods, Steve's eyes soften looking to him. “I'm really proud of you” Steve admits. “Seriously, I am” he looks down at the ring and the pulls it out to read the engraving. “We are asleep until we fall in Love?” he looks to Bucky.

“It's from Sara's favorite book” He explained. “War and Peace....” he shrugs. “Plus kind of how I felt, you know....it was just....meh till Sara”

“Meh” Sam teases, Bucky shoots him a look.

“I am not afraid to hit you” Bucky warns.

“What's taking you so long?” Sara asks as she walks into the room, her White Canary suit in place, she's been more of an active member since. Sam grabs at the ring in Steve's hand and then shove it in his mouth, smiling tightly.

“Nothing, we're on our way” Steve assures her, Sara raises an eyebrow. “We'll meet you at the hanger” Steve adds, she nods and then walks away.

“Oh no” Sam mumbles slightly, Bucky snaps his head to him.

“Please tell me you didn't” Bucky growls at Sam.

“I had to do something!” he snaps back. Bucky lets out a noise and lunges at Sam who squeals, like a little girl.

…..........

Sara checks her watch as she and Wanda wait for Steve and Bucky, Sara sighs again and looks back towards Sam's office as a bang sounds.

“What are they doing?” Wanda asks her.

“I've no idea” Sara answers. “I'll go get them, again” she comments and walks away.

…............

Sara pauses a little as she reaches Sam's door, narrowing her eyes she focuses on listening in on them.

“Bucky! Get your dirty fingers out of my mouth!” Sam's voice scolds

“Not until you throw it back up!” Bucky yells back holding Sam's face down on the floor, Sara pushes open the door to give them all a look.

“I don't even want to know what is going on now” she comments. They all look to her. Bucky releasing Sam.

“We were just coming” he assures her. She narrows her eyes at them and then leaves again, Bucky turns to Sam. “This isn't over!” he hisses and follows his girlfriend.

 


	36. Chapter Thirty Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n - oh boy this chapter ran away with me a bit...whoops.

****Sara says yes when he asks her. Of course she does she utterly adores the man, she loves him and really does want to spend the rest of her life with him, she'd be crazy not to. But the ring is something she'll be talking with him about. It's one of those plastic ones, the ones from the toy eggs in vending machines. She knows there is more to it though. He waved her off and promised to tell her later. Bucky asked Sara to marry him as they're sneaked around the evil lair. Whispered it in her ear, breathy and warm. It was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. Then Tony manages to throw together an engagement party within two days. And here they stand, together. Bucky's hand on her waist as he talks with Steve and Sam, Steve's arm around Sara's shoulders as he smiles down at her. She's one of them now. Bucky's girl. Steve shoves Sam a little as he laughs, clutching his ribs as he doubles over, Bucky smirks and snorts his laugh as Sara leans into his arm, her own meandering around his back. He kisses her head and smiles. She'd said yes. She wants to marry him. She wants to be his wife. He's over the freakin' moon. Steve goes to say something else but cuts off, he's staring at something over Sara's shoulder and she frowns before turning before Steve can stop her. Bucky follows her eyes and raises an eyebrow. Sam and Dean Winchester. Both stood in suits. Dressed up and both of them have seen Sara, Dean waves his fingers at her, she smiles a little back, but it's tense and strained. What is he doing here?

“Sara” Bucky states at her side. “We should..” he nods towards them, she nods in agreement and lets him take her hand, she's not sure she could approach them on her own, she needs him by her side. Dean stands up taller and takes a deep breath as they approach him, his smile sliding onto his face, just as fake as Sara's.

“Congratulations” Dean offers motioning to the ring on Sara's finger, she nods and smiles.

“Thank you” she whispers as Bucky wraps his arm around her waist. Dean can't take his eyes off of Sara. They were together for almost five years why the hell didn't he think of proposing to her? All that time they had together and he couldn't do this for her. Not like Bucky can. Sam pulls Sara into a hug, both making up for the last year. Though they've spoken on the phone it's not the same as in person and she's missed her friend. He then pulls back and smiles at Bucky whilst offering his hand. Bucky shakes Sam's hand.

“Congratulations” Sam offers warmly. “I'm so happy for you both”

“Thanks” Bucky responds looking to Sara who smiles back at him.

“Drink?” Dean asks, Sam nods.

“Bar's this way” Sara offers looking to Dean and thumbing over her shoulder, they share a look.

“Lead the way” he comments, she touches Bucky's arm and walks away with Dean, Bucky clenches his jaw a little.

“Didn't know your brother was back” Bucky offers, Sam shrugs.

“Literally the last few days” Sam admits. “It's not a problem, right? We can go”

“No” Bucky argues. “Sara wants you here and I'm not going to make a scene, not tonight” Sam hums in agreement.

“She looks really happy, you know, with you” Sam assures Bucky.

“Hope so” Bucky mumbles to himself turning to watch Sara at the bar and with Dean.

…...........

After Dean's arrival, Sara's on edge, nervous and off. Bucky tries to keep her involved in conversations, so do the others but she can't keep up. She kisses Bucky's cheek touching his chest.

“I need some air,” she tells him and then walks away, he frowns watching her retreating back before glancing across at Dean who's eyes don't leave Sara. Bucky purses his lips annoyed.

….........

Sara doesn't come back to the party. So Bucky goes looking for her instead. And he finds her curled up on the window seat of one of the side rooms, a glass of whiskey half drunk from at her side. She lets out a breath as he approaches her, Bucky sighs sitting next to her.

“Sara” he starts, she lifts her eyes to his.

“I'm sorry I missed the rest of the party” she whispers, he shakes his head.

“You didn't miss much, honey” he takes her hand in his and kisses the back of it. “Sara” he whispers. “You know I love you?” he asks, she nods, he closes his eyes and fights off tears, everything screaming at him not to do this. “I'd do anything for you” he whispers staring at the ring on her finger. “Even this” he adds before pulling the ring from its place.

“Bucky?” she asks alarmed reaching for him, he shakes his head.

“I want you to go after him,” he tells her softly reaching up to stroke her cheek. She searches his eyes because she can't believe he's doing this to her. “You still love him” he offers lifting her chin. “And seeing him again, I saw it”

“Bucky” she shakes her head. “Please, let me say something...”

“You're my friend,” He tells her, not letting her talk because he knows if she does he will break, he will cave and he needs to do this. “And I love you, and I want you to be happy, and if that's with him....then be with him” he presses his forehead to hers and then pulls away, she whimpers reaching for him but he walks away, Sara closes her eyes and tightens her jaw to stop herself crying.

…............

“Sara, where are you going? What are you doing?” Tony asks following her around the hotel room as she collects her things and packs them in a duffel bag.

“Bucky made himself perfectly clear” she whispers turning to him. “He was just waiting for something, wasn't he?” she asks him, he shakes his head.

“No” he argues. “No...Look” he sighs. “I know I'm not his biggest fan, but that man is stupidly in love with you” she shoots him a look. “He's scared” Tony counters. “He's terrified that now Dean is back that you're going to leave him” she runs her fingers through her hair. “So he's pushing you away....don't leave, don't walk away....” she sits on the end of the bed and buries her head in her hands. Tony sits beside her and rubs her back. “Just give him a few days to calm down” he offers. "For you to calm down too.....just don't leave, don't go back to him"

“I wasn't planning on it” she whispers looking to him. “Seeing Dean again...” she lets out a breath. “I felt nothing” she admits. “It just....there was nothing there” she motions to her chest. “It's Bucky...I want to spend my life with and if he can't see that”

“So go big” he offers. “Go Stark big” she looks to him.

“What did you have in mind?” she asks him, he smirks and presses a kiss to her head.

….........

Bucky sits exactly where Sara had only hours before, his eyes looking around the empty space, all her things gone, she really left. He sighs and hangs his head. He did tell her to leave, what was he expecting? He takes a breath and lays back covering his eyes with his arm.

 


	37. Chapter Thirty Six

Steve watches Bucky as he suits up, pulling a buckle closed on his chest. It's been four days since the engagement party, four days since Sara left and Bucky wants to work. He can't sleep. He can't eat. He can barely function without her. So this mission, it's a bad idea and Steve knows it is, and if it was any other mission he would make him sit it out. Natasha nods patting Steve's back. Any other mission and they'd all make Bucky sit this out, but this isn't just any mission.

“Ready?” Sam asks Bucky who nods sliding his rifle onto his back and takes a deep breath. Everyone but Bucky share a look and then turn to Steve.

“Let's go” Steve orders and nods to the jet, Bucky moves first, wanting to get out there, wanting to dive into the job, hoping that it will take his mind off of Sara. Deep down he knows it won't.

…..............

The whole warehouse is empty, every room empty, not a single peep from anyone and Bucky doesn't like it. It sets all his instincts and nerves on edge. He itches with panic and alarm. Steve follows behind him, the rest of the team split up, all ready to converge in the center room. Something about this is rubbing him up the wrong way. It's bugging him. Bucky clutches to his gun tighter as he turns to shoulder open the door in front of him. What bothers him more, is the lack of serious chatter on the comms. They're all laughing and joking and he's not in the mood for it. He growls a little shoving the door open before walking into the room. Bucky glances around as the others join them, Steve gives them all a look and each nods back, Bucky frowns a little turning when he hears heels. Sara. She walks towards them. Bucky looks confused, he glances to the rest of the team who stand back having let him move forward on his own. He lowers his gun and raises an eyebrow at her.

“Bucky” she greets warmly.

“Sara” he whispers. “What are you doing here? What's going on?”

“I didn't see any other way to get through to you” she answers and then holds her head up high. “You are a stubborn moron” Sara states, Bucky hangs his head. She softens. “A man willing to give up his own happiness for the woman he loves, willing to bow out....” he looks to her. “Everything we've been through, the things we've worked through, the things I thought you knew” she takes a deep breath and nods stealing herself for this. “I love you, you idiot” she announces, Steve and Sam share a look, both smiling. “I love you like I've never loved anyone ever before” Bucky sniffs slightly as emotions flood through him. “And I am standing here, in front of our friends to tell you this....to make sure that you know just how much you mean to me....” she worries her lip and then smiles softly. “You are the most stubborn, the most annoying man I have ever met, you snore and your hair gets everywhere, you leave your dirty socks in the bed, and your shaving foam all over the sink” Bucky smiles a little. “You sing in the shower, way out of tune and always with the wrong lyrics....you can't cook, like at all, even soup” Sara smiles. “You look at me with those eyes and nothing else in this world matters to me” she blinks sending tears down her cheeks. “And oh boy, that smirk of yours” she starts. “When you find something funny but it's inappropriate to laugh at. The way you hold me close to you in front of the tv....the way you kiss my head every night before you go to sleep” she shrugs. “I could keep listing things I love about you but...I'll spare them” she nods to their friends, Bucky nods a little. “I guess that's it really” she whispers. “Oh,” she stops herself and looks to him. “Just one more thing” he raises an eyebrow at her. “Marry me” she states. “Right here, right now” he raises an eyebrow at her.

“Urm, Sara, we're in a warehouse in the middle of Liverpool” he points out, she shrugs and looks to the others.

“Give us an hour” Steve counters. Bucky shoots him a look. “You're an idiot,” Steve tells Bucky. “She wasn't going to leave you” he pulls off his mask and nods to Natasha who smirks and pulls a whistle from under her suit, presses it to her lips and blows. Bucky looks confused as people start pouring out of doors, carrying flowers, seats, tables. He looks to Sara as she moves closer to him.

“I love you” she assures him. “I'm yours” he hand finds her cheek and he smiles.

“I'm sorry” he whispers, she nods and kisses him wrapping her arm around his neck. “I just want you to be happy” he nudges her nose.

“I am” she promises him. “With you” he smiles softly, eyes threatening to cry. “Can I have my ring back?” she asks, he laughs and nods pulling back to pull it from his pocket, he wanted it on him, he doesn't know why, maybe some subconscious thing. He brushes the back of his hand across his cheek before taking her hand and sliding the ring back into place on her finger.

“Come on,” Natasha tells Sara and then turns to Bucky. “Steve's got you covered...moron” she teases, Sara smirks and shrugs a little, Bucky sighs.

“I've never going to live this down,” he tells them before Natasha pulls Sara away from him. He lets out a breath, every inch of his body releasing tension. Steve pats his shoulder and Bucky looks to him.

“You ready?” Steve asks him, Bucky nods sharply, sure. He's never been surer of anything.

“I thought I lost her” he admits, Steve nods.

“Yeah, you screwed up, you really thought she was going to go back to him?” Steve asks, Bucky shrugs.

“I think part of me always thought she might” he admits. Steve sighs and shakes his head.

“Come on, we've got you a suit waiting” Steve nods towards a side door.

“There was no mission, was there?” Bucky mumbles.

“Nope,” Steve answers with a smirk, Bucky laugh and shakes his head as they walk towards the door. 

"Thanks" Bucky whispers. "For...everything" Steve looks to him and places his hand on his best friends shoulder. "I guess" Bucky starts. "Will you be my best man?" 

"I thought that was a given" Steve answers. "But yeah, I would love to..." They both share a look, Steve smiles proudly at his best friend, that he's getting that happily ever after that he always wanted, even before the war Bucky used to talk of one day getting married, having a family, and now he's half way there. 

 


	38. Epilogue

**One Year Later:**

Bucky nuzzles into Sara's neck, Sara chuckles threading her fingers through his hair, he hums happily. The last year has been amazing. He lost that bit of insecurity as he listened to her recite vows to him with a look in her eyes that he will never forget. He has no idea why he thought she would ever leave him once Dean came back. He grazes his teeth over her flesh and smirks when she wiggles beneath him.

“Stop it” she scolds. “We're meeting the others in an hour, we have to get up” he grumbles into her neck and then rolls to the side running his fingers through his hair.

“Do we have to?” he asks, she shoots him a look as she sits up.

“Steve is bringing his new girlfriend” She reminds him. “He wants you at his side” Bucky sits up and kisses her shoulder knowing she's right, his lips move to her neck and he smirks. “No” she scolds weakly with a chuckle.

“You know” he starts laying back as she stands to get dressed. “I've been thinking” she hums a little in acknowledgment. “Maybe we should....start our own family” he admits watching her. She pauses a little and closes her eyes. Honestly, she's been dreading this day. He's been dropping more and more hints about starting a family and she's tried putting it off for a while.

“Buck” she turns to him and he reads it on her face.

“You don't want children” he offers, she swallows and shrugs.

“No” she argues. “I would love them” she admits because it is true. There is nothing more she wants than to be a mother, and a mother of his children. “But I can't” he frowns and sits up, she sighs and runs her hands over her face as she lets it out. “It's a side effect,” she tells him. “Of the...cloning. It doesn't work like that” she motions to her abdominal area. “It doesn't work, I physically cannot have children” he gives her sad smile but he's not freaking out. She shakes her head. “You already knew” she accuses, he scoots to the end of the bed and takes her hand.

“Me and Tony, we spoke about this a few weeks ago” he admits. “I wanted to know how you'd react to me asking.....” she looks away from him. “There are other ways” he assures her kissing the back of her hand. “We can adopt” he offers, she shakes her head.

“Who in their right mind will give a kid to two Avengers?” she asks him.

“Well, then there is surrogacy” he answers. She looks down at him. “If you want one, with me, then I'll do anything and everything in my power to make it happen” she searches his eyes.

“You'd do that?” she asks him quietly, he pulls her closer letting her sit in his lap.

“Oh, honey” he whispers warmly. “I want a family with you” he assures her. “If you want one with me.....whatever it takes” she cups his cheeks and smiles at him.

“We're going to be late” she scolds slightly, he puckers his lips for a kiss and she smiles and relents letting him have one.

“I love you” he whispers against her lips and then kisses her cheek.

“As I love you” she responds. “Whatever it takes, huh?” she asks, he hums in agreement.

…..........

Tony moves to the bar where Bucky lingers, leaning back as he sips on his glass of whiskey, his eyes locked on Sara across from him talking with Steve and his new girlfriend, Miranda. Bruce is on Bucky's other side, his eyes on Natasha across the room with Clint and Laura. Tony leans at Bucky's side and taps his arm, Bucky looks to him and then away again.

“You know that thing we talked about” Tony starts, Bucky nods. “Well, I thought of something,” Tony tells Bucky who frowns at him. “A solution to Sara's fertility problem” Bucky hums a little. “Steve” Bucky turns to Tony and frowns harder. “We take some Steve....cut out the stuff we need, put it in an empty egg....then take some of your little marines....put them together....plant them in someone, a woman preferably.....poof, baby”

“Would that work?” Bruce asks from Bucky's other side.

“She's basically Steve” Tony points out. “DNA wise.....” Bucky sighs a little. “We can bring in a few experts, trust me, they'll love the challenge.....”

“I don't want to get her hopes up if this isn't going to work” Bucky warns Tony who nods a little.

“Give me a year” Tony offers. “If I don't find a solution in a year, if this doesn't work, then you can try other routes” Bucky takes a breath and looks across at Sara who is smiling down at a small child who clutches to her hand. Steve's new girlfriend is a single mom and the girl has managed to probably be the only White Canary fan in the world. Not that Sara minds. It's not very often she gets recognized as an Avenger. Bucky smiles watching her with the child.

“Okay,” he answers Tony. “A year” he turns to Tony. “She'd be a good mother”

“Yeah” Tony agrees. “She would” Bucky looks around again and Sara is smiling at him, he waves at her, she smiles wider and blows him a kiss.

…...........

**Little Over Two Years Later:**

Bucky's knee jiggles as he waits, sat outside the hospital room, his eyes locked on the door in front of him. They've been waiting for this day for a year now, he takes a deep breath trying to calm his heart. It's taken them longer than he planned to get here. He gave Tony his year, but at the end of that year, they were so close to getting it to work that he let it continue. A few failures, heartbreak, and pain, but they're finally here.

“Here” he looks up at Sara who gives him a nervous and worried smile as she hands down the tea, he nods and takes it from her. “Has anyone come out yet?”

“Not yet” he offers wrapping an arm around her as she sits at his side, she buries her face into his shoulder. “It's going to be okay, they said it could be a while yet” she nods pulling her legs up to rest over his, he kisses her head. He knows she's worried. This is their third attempt, and the last two were painful when they fell through. It's why he hadn't wanted to get her hopes up, because he knew the chances were slim, it was new, experimental but....here they are. Full-term. In the hospital. Waiting for news.

The door opens and Bucky is on his feet, tea set aside. Sara follows him to her feet, her nerves showing on her face. The doctor that leaves moves towards them, offering them both a congratulatory smile.

“Congratulations” the doctor offers warmly. “It's a boy” Bucky looks to Sara who clutches to his hand.

“Can we see him?” Bucky asks turning back to the doctor.

“Of course” he answers. “The nurse will bring him out...”

“Is Eliza okay?” Sara asks, he nods.

“She's tired but she's fine, we're about to take her to recovery, would you like to see her too?” Bucky nods.

…...........

The nurse helps Bucky with baby placement, setting the teeny tiny bundle into his arms, Sara rests her chin on his shoulder to look down at the boy. Their baby. Half him. Half her-ish, kind of Steve as well, Bucky's going to try and not dwell on that. And he's beautiful. Bald as a cue ball but with dazzling blue eyes.

“Bucky” Sara whispers nuzzling into his neck. “Thank you” he hums and turns his head to her. He knows. He knows she never thought this would happen for her. He kisses her forehead and smiles.

“We have a baby” he mumbles lips on her skin, she smiles and nods as he pulls away from her. She turns and moves to the hospital bed.

“Eliza” Sara smiles at the woman, they'd spent months trying to find the right surrogate, someone they could trust, someone they liked, and Eliza ended up being that person. She's been with them through it all, she's their friend. And now dating Sam Wilson, and though possibly a permanent fixture she has assured them that this baby is theirs and she's happy to remain as their friend through it, she's actually looking forward to watching them try to handle a baby, being two of the best spies and Avengers it should be hilarious to see them deal with a baby. “Are you okay?” Eliza nods and takes Sara's hand.

“I am great” she answers warmly. “Look how happy you both are”

“Thank you,” Bucky tells her, she smiles squeezing Sara's hand.

“You're going to make amazing parents” she assures them. “It's why I agreed to this...”

“I'll call you in a few days” Sara offers. “Make sure you're okay” Eliza nods and smiles at them both before the porter wheels her chair out of the room, Bucky looks down and smiles. He can't believe something this small exists. Sara moves closer to him.

“Sara” he whispers looking to her. “He's perfect” she looks down at the baby and smiles lifting a hand to touch his cheek softly. “Howard,” he tells her, she frowns at him. “I know he wasn't the best father to you or to Tony, but he created you, none of this would have happened....none of it, without him” her eyes mist over a little and she nods. He kisses her softly.

“Technically, none of this could have happened without Steve” she corrects.

“Well than Howard Steve” he alters. “Howvie?” he asks, she shoots him a look. “No?” he asks teasingly. “Steward?”

“Stop” she argues quickly motioning for the baby. “My turn” Bucky turns away slightly.

“I'm not finished” he argues. She shoots him a look.

“But it's my turn” she counters, Bucky smirks walking away, Sara follows after him. “Bucky” she whines catching up to him. Honestly, that he is already this attached to their son is more than she could have hoped for, and she'll put off holding him if it makes Bucky this happy.

…............

“Hey” Tony whispers approaching Sara where she sits cradling her son in her arms, Bucky is sparked out asleep with his head in her lap. She smiles at Tony. “How is he?” he asks motioning to the baby.

“Perfect” she answers. “Obviously, I am his mother” he smirks at her and strokes her hair as he sits on her other side.

“Did you decide on a name?” he asks her, she hums and nods.

“Yeah, we did” she answers. “His name is Aaron Steven Anthony Barnes” she looks to Tony who hums softly and then seems to realize, he looks up at her.

“Yeah?” he asks, she nods, he rests his forehead against hers and smiles.

“We got this because of you” she whispers. “You and Steve gave us this....” he nods and looks down at the baby.

“And Aaron?” he asks.

“I liked it” she answers with a shrug. “It's Biblical, strong...but soft...” Tony smiles at her.

“You're going to be a wonderful mother, Barbie” he whispers fondly. “I can't wait to watch you do this” she looks to him and smiles.

“Maybe you and Pepper could have a go” she offers. “I think she's waited long enough, don't you?” he smiles and nods.

“Yeah, yeah, I think she has....that's why I asked her to marry me two hours ago” her face goes slack with surprise.

“And? What did she say?” Bucky grumbles from her lap, Tony flicks his forehead. “Ow,” Bucky mumbles nuzzling into Sara's stomach.

“She said yes” Tony answers, Sara kisses his cheek.

“Maybe it's time we all get our happily ever after” she offers, Tony snorts but nods. That sounds nice. Everyone winning. Everyone happy and safe. 

 

 


End file.
